Avatar Book 4: Air
by Kojab8890
Summary: It started with the bizzare death of an old man. The air from his body was sucked dry. But things are not as they seem. As forces from all sides crash together to break the balance, a small band of children will try to stop it before it's too late...
1. Chapter 1: Autumn Leaves

Author's Note: I was able to scrap a dozen few ideas together to make this story

_Author's Note: I was able to scrap a dozen few ideas together to make this story. I doubt it will stand to scrutiny and most of the details could be easily dismissed by a number of fans. But this (and many others) is a tribute to Avatar, the Last Airbender. The story has ended quite well and I doubt any other cartoon in the near future could possibly surpass it. My story is simply a continuation and not the real story of the Avatar franchise._

_Disclaimer: I own no part of Avatar, the Last Airbender. But this story and this plot is entirely of my own creation. Any similarities to the official Avatar plotline are mere coincidences or are used for necessary events in the story. The same goes with the characters and settings._

Book 4

_Air_

Chapter one:

Autumn Leaves

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_Autumn is the season of my people…_

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_The serenity of the season reflects the state of the world. And the world is at peace with itself. There is the usual hustle and bustle here and there. The noise from the earth kingdom markets is perpetual. The South Pole is being rebuilt to its former glory. And hundreds of soldiers are coming home._

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_A wind blows through the naked trees. Heaps of leaves are scattered throughout the land, making the ground appear yellow underneath the afternoon sun._

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_Children are laughing. Their joys are quickly strangled by the ever-watchful mothers who tell them to go inside for dinner. 'Chicken today', say the mothers._

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_Just beyond the village is a long stretching line of people, carrying all their possessions: spears, pots, swords, and the occasional cooked pig. Smiles mark their faces and they greet one another with light hearts._

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_No one is hiding in fear._

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_I see the sun dimming out quickly, as if hurried by some other entity. The summer has come to pass and the new season is setting in. Autumn is setting in._

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_But not all peace comes fully intact._

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_The long line of soldiers marching home has tempted a few robbers to ransack their possessions and steal their food. The world is still filled with desperate people and it has driven them to this. So these soldiers are not afraid, but they are watchful. One of them had just lost his good pig. A woman in uniform had her money taken right out of her belt. I know I have to do something about it but I am tired. The Avatar is tired._

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_Then there are rumours circulating around a particular Earth Kingdom village. It is disturbing news. A man has gotten himself lost in the wilderness while hunting for game. They search for him and when they find his body, it is a horrific sight. His eyes and mouth were open to such strange proportions that he appeared to be screaming even after he went faint. There seemed to be no sign of struggle, just lines all over the ground. They could see the ribs protrude from within the chest like a hollow barrel._

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_I will see into the matter immediately, if not sooner._

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_I just hope it isn't a terrible problem. After all, what can be worse than stopping the end of the world?_

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**Ba Sing Se, Inner Ring, the Jasmine Dragon tea shop**

"You're leaving already? Couldn't you wait a little longer?"

Zuko turned to his uncle once more and gave him a heartfelt smile. "I have to go, uncle. The Fire Nation needs me. There are a lot of things to finish. Did you know that we're tearing down the Great Gates of Azulon to allow free trade?"

The look of pride in Iroh's face was unmatched. But he waved Zuko off, stopping him from speaking. "I'll leave politics to the Fire Lord. But couldn't you just stay for a day or two. The grand festival is approaching and a lot of customers come when you're around." Iroh pointed to the customers directly behind Zuko.

Zuko turned around to see dozens of girls occupied around other people, all squirming their way to pass him a wave. They blinked, winked, waved, and smiled at him. An awkward blush crept over Zuko's face and he turned away, scratching the back of his neck.

Iroh laughed and slammed his hand on the back of his nephew, jarring him from his feet. "Don't look so embarrassed, my nephew! They've been coming here for a while now."

Zuko couldn't help but stammer. "B-But…don't they know that I already have…you know—a girlfriend?"

Iroh grabbed Zuko's head and thrust it downward until they were face to face. "Quiet down! They don't really know who you are. They think you're my handsome tea waiter, Lee. Having them know that the Fire Lord is here would make this shop too overrated."

Zuko was aghast. "_What?_"

Iroh put on a sly expression. "Truthfully, business has been slow. When I reopened the shop, not much people seemed to come. But when you came here, some daughters of the noblemen came by to see you. They were ecstatic and I told them about you. It's a strategy I'm working on. If a nobleman's daughter came to see the shop then they would tell their parents all about it and I would have more customers!"

Zuko looked at the girls again and realized that it was a wrong move. They seemed more interested in him than the tea. "Uncle…? Is there a backdoor to this shop? I don't think I can pass by the entrance without being…_attacked_…"

Iroh laughed. "Of course. But one of the girls is asking for a strand of your hair before she leaves in exchange for a visit from her entire family."

"I'm not surrendering my hair to anybody!" Zuko exclaimed and grabbed his head to protect his hair.

Iroh chuckled in a way that only he could. "I was just kidding Zuko! You can go to the back exit. Make sure you don't disturb the tea makers there. They get distracted easily."

Zuko smiled. "Goodbye, uncle."

Iroh hugged his nephew warmly. "Goodbye Fire Lord Zuko. Restore the Fire Nation to its former glory. And come back again when you can."

Zuko gave his uncle one last handshake and left, passing the back and avoiding the glances of a dozen customers who seemed disappointed when he left.

Iroh watched Zuko walk away from the corner of his eye. He lifted a strand of hair to the sunlight and a big devious smile crept up his face.

"_The girls are going to love this._"

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**Ba Sing Se, Inner Ring, New Bei Fong Estate**

It was clear that whoever owned this large house was wealthy. The golden gongs that hung beside the pillars glinted in the afternoon sun. The roof seemed larger than the entire house itself; clearly displaying that it wasn't just a place for refuge, but this house was also a form of pedestrian decoration.

Someone knocked on the wooden door.

"Hello? Who's there?" asked the guard.

The guard caught sight of a small boy, barely taller than the daughter of the man who owned this place. He had a cape around his neck and a small war helmet on his head. The guard would have laughed at the boy's outfit had he not spotted the giant standing behind him.

"Hello," smiled the boy cheerfully. "Is Toph here? She said she'll play with us."

The guard was about to say that commoners were strictly told never to come within a few feet of anyone in the Bei Fong family. He was supposed to say this, when someone thrust him to the side.

"Sorry!" said Toph. "Please tell my mom and dad that I'll be back for dinner later!"

The guard was about to say something but the girl and the other two people had already disappeared down an alley.

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o0o

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"So what did you say was so urgent?" Toph demanded immediately. "And why did you write down the message on a piece of paper? I had to ask a servant just to read it, you know."

The Duke smiled apologetically. "Sorry about that. But we need you now. It's a life or death situation."

"_Life or death_?" Toph asked. She wasn't so afraid of the words. In fact, she was excited. Staying back with her family had been nice and all, but no one could really keep an adventurous girl like Toph caged.

It had been hard for awhile. Her parents had agreed to move to Ba Sing Se so Toph could be closer to her friends. But everybody else had to go back to their own lives too. They did agree to meet every month at the Jasmine Dragon, but waiting for that to happen just left her bored throughout most of her time at home.

"So what's wrong this time? _Firebenders attacking_? _Dai Li agents hypnotizing people_?" Toph asked enthusiastically.

The Duke shook his head. "We need a third person for Earthbending Soccer."

Toph's sense of adventure wasn't too satisfied. "You got me out of the house for that?"

Pipsqueak shook his large head and bellowed in his deep voice. "Me and the Duke tried betting for food with a bunch of kids two days ago over a game of Earthbending soccer."

"We thought it was an easy game," continued the Duke, "After all, Pipsqueak always wins in any game. But their Earthbending was a lot better than we thought. We lost…" The Duke's eyes became watery and he sobbed. "They took my salty nuuuuts! Wah! Wah! My little salty nuuuuts! My poor babies!"

Toph sighed over this little melodrama. "So you guys called me so you could get your nuts back?"

The Duke's face was filled with determination. "No! They stole from me! We must steal from them! Ha!"

Pipsqueak sighed. "The Duke made a bet with them that if they win against us in another game, they take more food from us. He told them about adding a blind girl to the team and the kids just laughed at him."

The Duke looked very sinister as he rubbed his hands together. "It's payback time! They won't see us coming!"

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o0o

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"Are you guys seriously thinking of beating us with a blind girl?" asked the lead player. "I hope you guys brought the goods because you're about to be robbed."

Toph put on her most naïve face in her life. She played with her toes and jutted her lower lip out in a pout. If you didn't know her, you would have testified that she looked like any sweet little girl in a fancy bright dress.

"You guys get first move…since you lost last time," said the lead player. A cocky smile was on his face. "I hope you guys score this time."

In thirty seconds, The Duke's team was leading by thirty points.

"What just happened?" said one kid, still in a daze.

"I've never seen anything like it…" awed another.

The lead player wasn't one to back down from a fight. "Stand up you idiots! She's blind! And get back in position. We're going for another round!"

The Duke ran for the ball and kicked it hard. The lead player was waiting for the strike. He thrust both his fists, aiming for the ground. A wall of earth shot up and deflected the ball back, heading towards his team mate in the opposite side

That's when Toph shot up from underground.

The blind girl landed hard on her feet and kicked high into the air, sending a pillar of earth to hit the ball. The ball shot back to its original direction, flying over the kids' surprised faces.

An opposing player acting as the goalie used Earthbending to thrust him skywards. He caught the ball in midair and sent it back to the lead player. The lead player caught it with his foot.

And for a moment, everything was at a standstill.

The lead player held the ball under his foot.

Toph just stood there, waiting.

Then the lead player made his move, taking a step backward, going for the charge. He held his leg back, ready to make the kick.

Toph sensed his movement a fraction of a second before he even completed the action. Her right hand was already extended out, palm facing down. She lowered her hand and felt the shift in the earth.

When the lead player kicked, his feet swung up too high. He didn't hit anything and he lost balance, landing hard on his back. "Where did the ball go?" was his last cry.

The Duke saw what had happened. Toph had buried the ball underground. He turned to her and waved his hands into the air. "Pass it here!"

Toph moved forward, jumped, and landed. As her feet hit the ground, she did a thrusting uppercut punch and the ball shot out of the ground. It shot up high—too high for the Duke to reach.

Toph was adept. "HA!"

A column of earth shot up from beneath the Duke, sending him up into the air, in line with the ball. He spun and hit the ball with his instep.

Pipsqueak was already running. The goalie trembled with fright under each of Pipsqueak's footfalls. When the ball landed in front of Pipsqueak, all he had to do was kick it and it shot in the goal.

"YES!" cheered the three in unison. And they huddled together, celebrating the glory of an easy victory.

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**South Pole, a few kilometers away from the Southern Water Tribe**

For the first time in a long time, Katara and Sokka felt a true sense of exhaustion. How long had it been since they had last seen home, felt the cold air, or smelled the ripe odor of freshly cooked sea prunes? Had it really been that long? Had they really changed the face of the world?

"I can already smell the sweet scent of blubbered fish," Sokka said, raising a thumbs-up in the face of his sister. He rubbed his hands together with his tongue licking the lips. "I can already taste it," he said heavenly. "Smoked fish, sea prunes, and seal jerky. Gran-gran's fixing us a buffet right now! I know it!"

Katara smiled along with Sokka's enthusiasm. "I can't wait to see Gran-gran. I've missed her so much that—"

Suddenly, the Water Tribe catamaran that they were riding shuddered to a stop. The fleet had stopped right in the middle of a small inlet. On the ships, A few people had lost balance.

Sokka turned to his father who was steering the ship. "Dad…why did we stop…?"

General Hakkoda pointed ahead of them. "Because of that."

A huge ice mountain towered over the small fleet of Water Tribe ships. But engraved on the front side of this mountain was the Water Tribe insignia.

Katara traced the mountain's height. "How did _this_ get here?"

Master Pakku stepped forward with a smile. "This is one of the things we added when I and a few other Waterbenders came to the South Pole."

General Hakkoda stepped forward. "How are we going to get inside?"

Master Pakku stuck his fingers in his mouth and gave a strong, high-pitched whistle. One by one, people in blue Eskimo clothes began popping out from behind the mountain's sharp icy contours.

These people gathered around the inlet, surrounding the fleet of ships.

Two Waterbenders stood on each side of the inlet's opening—and with a strong whip-like hand motion—a wall of ice sealed them in the inlet, extending all the way down to the seafloor. The other Waterbenders that surrounded the fleet spread their arms into the sky and slowly brought their hands down. This motion lowered the water level in the inlet, bringing the fleet below sea level. The obvious displacement of water inside made the water outside the inlet rise.

Katara, Sokka, Hakkoda, and his men were awed by the things that occurred around them, their sights fixed on everything that was happening. Master Pakku had this smug smile on his face.

The water level fell lower and lower. And then the water level stopped dropping.

Nothing happened.

Sokka was staring at the wall of ice that was directly in front of them. "So…. What now…?"

It didn't take long. A huge hole in the ice wall was made and the fleet rushed inside the wall with the surging water. When all of them were inside, Waterbenders sealed off the hole.

The sight before them was amazing.

The Southern Water Tribe was nothing like it had ever been before. The city itself was nestled deep in the heart of the ice mountain, below sea level. A huge skylight at the top of the ice mountain allowed the city air and sunlight. The city itself was a dazzling place. The center of the city was a large igloo. Other smaller igloos surrounded the center of the city. Ice docks were made to hold the fleet in the artificial harbour.

Women and children were already waiting for them there, waving. They shed tears of joy. The men on the ship couldn't help but wave back. They had returned from war, successful and tired.

Sokka was frantically trying to get their grandmother's attention. "Gran-gran! Over here! We saved the world! We are AWESOME!!"

General Hakkoda stood beside Master Pakku and awkwardly made small talk.

"I guess you're kind of my father now, huh?" said Hakkoda, standing strong but averting his eyes away from the Waterbending master.

Mater Pakku coughed a bit and pulled at his collar. "Oh…Yes…"

"Um… Welcome to the family…uh…_dad_…"

Master Pakku felt embarrassed beyond recognition. "Oh. No. You can just call me Pakku…"

Both of them looked away, trying to find something interesting. Katara, who had watched the whole thing, smiled inwardly. Her father and her master were getting along. Seeing the whole thing made her heart feel incredibly lighter.

Sokka ruined the moment when he splashed some terribly cold water on her.

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**Earth Kingdom village**

"Hello Avatar Aang," said a woman as he entered the infirmary. She bowed low and paid respect to the child.

Aang smiled kindly at her. "That won't be necessary ma'am. Where is he?

"The man is in here."

"Is he dead?"

The woman's face was downcast and you could tell that she rather not speak of it. "He is alive, but the way he is, he'd rather be dead. We had to shoo away all the man's child relatives because…well…if you look at him…"

The woman led Aang down the infirmary. Other injured were here, most from the recent war. Aang could see burns and huge scars. Some had open gashes and others had cut legs. Bandages were laid scattered on the floor with blood stained on them. But despite the clear agony they were facing, it was clear that these people were finally at peace. The war itself had internally wounded them; creating wounds no one could ever heal.

Now, the war was over. Their faces were serene, peaceful.

Then the woman stopped over someone's bed and Aang saw a face that wasn't so serene.

The man's eyes were open wide. His eyes' were blood red and they seemed to bulge out of their sockets. His face—the skin had wrapped itself around the man's skull. And his mouth formed an "O". Aang could see his dry tongue from within. He was a cadaver of a man. Aang dared not look beneath the blankets.

Aang grimaced and felt revolted. "What could have done this to him?"

The woman kept her gaze on the man's horrid face. She shook her head. "I don't know. He was such a kind man. He sold the best deer because he knew where the deer always stayed and he wouldn't tell anybody. When we found him, he was walking back home. He wasn't bleeding but his face showed great pain. He looked like he was suffocating, but I couldn't tell why. He kept asking us for air, as if he couldn't breathe."

Aang was surprised. "He could talk?"

The woman nodded. "Barely. When he talks, it is a painful effort. He speaks as he is taking in air. The reason why we kept his mouth open like that is so that he could breathe deeply. I fear if he stays like this for too long, he might die. Feeding him food and letting him drink was almost impossible."

Aang went closer to the man. "Have you tried asking him what had happened?"

"Yes," she said. "But he wouldn't tell. Fear has silenced him."

Aang bent low to examine the man's face. He could hear the deep breathing from him. It was terribly forced, as if the man had forgotten to breathe altogether and he had to keep a conscious effort to keep it up.

Then the man's eyes focused on Aang.

"_Ahhh… Ah… Ahhh…_" he gasped. His movement was awkward, but it was clear that he was struggling. There was terrible fright on the man's face.

"What's he doing now?" asked Aang.

The woman lowered her eyebrows in a confused look. "I…I don't know."

Aang looked at the man's face as he looked at him. It was a horrible face. And it was a fearful face. And that face was staring at him. "What did this to you, old man?"

The man struggled to lift a bony finger. He held it up high enough for it to reach Aang's forehead. He spoke again; his voice was raspy and shaken.

"_Ahhh… Arrr… Stay back…Arrow… Man…_"

Aang didn't understand what he was saying. "What did this to you?" he repeated.

The man barely grasped at his words. He just repeated his last line.

"_Arrow…Man…_"

Then, the man's eyes shut and his mouth hung limply. The sound of his breathing had disappeared. The woman saw this and hurried beside the man, feeling his heart and opening his eyes. But there was nothing. The man's last sigh had truly been his last.

He was dead.

Aang went out of the infirmary and the woman followed.

"There will be a burial following the man's death. Will you come?" asked the woman.

"Yes. Of course," said Aang.

And the woman cried. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Thank you… He was my father…"

Aang nodded solemnly but his thoughts were easily distracted by the words of the man. "What did he mean by an 'Arrow Man'? Was he talking about an archer? Did an archer attack him?"

The woman shook her head. "I found neither arrows on the ground nor any punctures in the body. He wasn't attacked by anything."

Aang wasn't so sure. The man had been frightened by one thing. And that fear came back when he saw him. What did that mean? And why did he tap his forehead? The entire situation was all so misleading.

Aang gave a heavy sigh and scratched his head.

His eye caught sight of a nearby mirror. He smiled at himself for a second, playing around with his reflection. He admired his blue tattoos.

And then, realization struck him.

He had an arrow tattooed on his head…

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_I will be posting the next few chapters in a week. Hopefully, all the first five chapters will be finished soon. After the first five chapters are finished, I plan to update by the week. There are 24 chapters in all._

_I hope you liked the story so far. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, then type them down. If you want to flame the story, please do so in a constructive manner. And one more thing…_

_AVATAR RULES!!_


	2. Chapter 2: Glowing Cinders

Author's Note: I was able to scrap a dozen few ideas together to make this story

_Author's Note: I was able to scrap a dozen few ideas together to make this story. I doubt it will stand to scrutiny and most of the details could be easily dismissed by a number of fans. But this (and many others) is a tribute to Avatar, the Last Airbender. The story has ended quite well and I doubt any other cartoon in the near future could possibly surpass it. My story is simply a continuation and not the real story of the Avatar franchise._

_Disclaimer: I own no part of Avatar, the Last Airbender. But this story and this plot is entirely of my own creation. Any similarities to the official Avatar plotline are mere coincidences or are used for necessary events in the story. The same goes with the characters and settings._

Book 4

_Air_

Chapter two:

Glowing Cinders

**Fire Nation, Grand Plaza**

Zuko gingerly stepped off the airship, fully robed. He was dressed in all the royal Fire Nation capes he could possibly wear. Waiting for him at the landing were the usual attendants, bowing before him as he stepped down. Zuko kept his expressions firm and his chest high. He needed to be a positive and strong symbol to his country.

But all Zuko's strong composure melted away at the sight of Mai.

Mai gave him a soft smile as they neared each other. Her face was calm for once and she shed a single tear—a tear Zuko did not see. The two shared a warm hug and some brief laughter.

"He's been waiting for awhile," Mai said, smiling.

Zuko frowned. "Didn't you tell him that I'd take long? Did you tell him how long airships took to get from place to place?"

Still smiling, Mai shrugged. "I did. But he had principles. He said that no matter how complex the excuse, late was still late."

"Then we better not keep him waiting. I doubt he'll ever want to come back here again if I fail him anymore."

Mai patted him on the back. "Then what are you waiting here for?" she looked at the attendants. "If you're waiting to be carried all the way to the palace then you're definitely going to be late. I suggest walking, Fire Lord Zuko."

Zuko chuckled. "For you, it's just 'Zuko'. And I guess walking wouldn't hurt."

o0o

Zuko was wrong. The royal shoes he was wearing limited his steps and made every movement painful. He flinched on every uneven surface. He would have to ask the royal tailors to make him a larger pair of shoes.

And aside from the clear discomfort he was getting from his feet, Fire Lord Zuko was indeed very, very late.

"Being the Fire Lord doesn't exempt you from tardiness, Zuko. I've decided to teach you the basics once more. And due to your delay, your full training will begin tomorrow—if you're still not late of course."

Zuko groaned. He couldn't believe he had to learn the basics all over again. "The basics? Why do I even have to learn the basics? I might not even need your help in teaching me how to create lightning. I can ask my uncle to teach me himself."

"Your uncle could, but he has assigned the duty to me," said Jeong Jeong. "I was a very good friend of his and we were both war generals back when he had undertaken his past siege for Ba Sing Se. He has assigned me because…well…your uncle is a very busy man…"

Unfortunately, Zuko didn't think his uncle was that busy. He imagined Iroh sipping tea beside the fire right now.

"Let us begin. Show me your stance."

Zuko placed his feet apart, keeping a strong hold on the ground. He knew the basics by heart. A Firebender was as powerful as his stance. He recalled all these lessons from his uncle even when—

"Are you feeling the sun?"

"What?"

"The sun. Can you feel its warmth on your face?"

Zuko looked up at the sun and almost blinded himself. "Uh…yeah…"

"Good. Exercise proper breath control… Feel the energy circling around you… Very good, Fire Lord Zuko…"

Zuko felt irritated. "I thought I was going to be taught the basics of lightning? You're teaching me the basics of Firebending."

Jeong Jeong nodded. "I said I was going to teach you the basics. So stop talking and breathe. Breathe and maintain silence… Listen to the dropping blossoms in the air… Feel the rustle of the wind… The serenity is your escape… It allows you to—"

"Fire Lord, sir!"

"THAT'S IT!" shouted the Firebending Master irritably. "I'm coming back when everyone's quiet!" And Jeong Jeong marched away, cursing to no one in particular.

Zuko switched his attention to the man that had called him. It was General Shinu. "What is it, General?"

General Shinu looked slightly awkward, having interrupted the lesson after all. But regularly, the General had been sour. He wasn't this way when he was under Fire Lord Ozai. Zuko suspected that he had been comfortable under his father's rule. He had been giving the General a lot to do lately and those things didn't prove to be too tactical or important. Zuko had assigned the man to Communications and Operations. Apparently, General Shinu didn't like the job very well.

"How are the troops, General?" Zuko asked, keeping a straight face.

General Shinu switched back to his sour mood, but anyone could have mistaken it for a slightly angry face. "We have ships heading to the Earth Kingdom mainland to haul them back to the Fire Nation. A lot of Earth Kingdom locals are commenting about the lines of troops moving westward towards the western seaboard. They say that the troops are causing minor disturbance."

Zuko considered the matter properly. He knew that most of the troops were coming back from as far as Ba Sing Se. He could see the dilemma. "Move the ships further inland. Take them as close to the Earth Kingdom capital as possible."

General Shinu wasn't too pleased. "But sir…that would mean moving most of our forces farther than they were supposed to go to! These are just soldiers. They can do the long walk. They were trained to handle—"

Zuko's decision was final. "Those soldiers are tired, General Shinu. They're tired and they want to go home. I suggest you follow my orders or risk being demoted to Captain."

This didn't make the General any happier. If Zuko had paid more attention to the man, he would have noticed the tightness of the man's fists or the strain on the man's teeth. The General gave him a quick, "_Yes sir…_" and started walking away.

As he walked away, Zuko noticed a small parchment in the man's hand. "Is that a message for me…?"

General Shinu turned around, forgetting the reason why he had come here in the first place. "Oh. Yes… It's a message sir. It arrived through a messenger hawk."

Zuko took the parchment. "Who sent it?"

General Shinu's face was as solid as rock. "The Avatar, sir."

o0o

The Grand Plaza was now a bustling area, where soft spoken chatter was now replaced with the noisy hubbub of trade. The Royal Plaza had been open to the public now under Zuko's advice, saying that he didn't want life here to be similar to the separated culture of Ba Sing Se. And so he said it, and so it was done. Performers and Food sellers rushed in overnight and delighted the royals immediately. Amusement was everywhere.

One of the Fire Nation patrons had brought his daughter to meet the new faces and catch sight of the Flame throwers that could make shapes of dragons and platypus bears. His daughter was ecstatic, sipping juice from a cup.

That juice spilled all over the ground when a grouchy man knocked it out of her hand.

She cried of course.

General Shinu was in no mood and had no patience to watch where he was going or watch the people who were bumping into him.

The General was oblivious to the people that were literally dancing in front of him. He snorted and growled, like an angry tiger he was. _These locals shouldn't even be here... Where was the sense of discipline that once lived throughout the Fire Nation? What had happened to the nation's imperialistic air?_

The General stopped right in front of a small residential house. He growled. He had a specially made room for him in the palace like the other generals but he had been relocated here so the Fire Lord could accommodate his new raggedy Fire Bending Master, Jeong Jeong.

General Shinu shut the door behind him and entered the silent and dark room that was his house.

It was clear that something was not right.

It wasn't obvious, but something was out of place. Was it colder? Had someone climbed in through the windows and left them open?

General Shinu dropped his belongings and searched throughout the house but found that all of the windows had been shut tight, just as he left them. Maybe he was just being paranoid after a really stressful day.

He went back to the door to get the rest of his belongings.

The door was ajar.

Now, if someone had been in here, that meant that someone had probably left something for him. He would have to search for it or for any clues.

It didn't take that long. The General found a note in his belongings.

.

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_If you want to stop delivering messages_

_then meet me in the war room by midnight_

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General Shinu read the message twice before he did what he had to do—he crumpled it. He crumpled it and threw it in a waste basket. He wasn't stupid enough to start up trouble in the time of fresh peace. He may have hated his job but it was not wise to cause disturbance.

The only thing that the General dreaded was the fact that the message had been written in something that looked like blood.

o0o

Mai looked more concerned than her general persona. "Zuko, where are you going?"

Zuko was walking faster than his flinching from walking. "To the Fire Sages."

"And why are you going there?"

"To find some answers," he said brusquely.

"Does this have anything to do with the note from Aang?"

"Yes."

"What does it say?"

Zuko gruffed. "Not now."

Mai cut in front of him. She looked frustrated. "Is this how you're going to treat your new girlfriend? Just because you're the Fire Lord doesn't mean you can keep secrets from me, Zuko. I've known you since we were in the academy. What did Aang say?"

Zuko sighed. He was going nowhere with this. But he inwardly ssmiled when Mai said 'Aang'. It just sounded weird in her mouth. "He's asking about my Great Grand Father, Fire Lord Sozin. He's asking what he did during the arrival of the comet in his time."

Mai stepped out of the way with a smile. "Doesn't everybody know what Fire Lord Sozin did? He used the comet to kill all the Air Nomads."

Zuko's face tightened, looking fierce, and stared forward. "What everyone knows is what they were made to believe. I've known from experience that the Fire Sages tend to keep secrets."

o0o

Zuko found that the illusive Fire Sages weren't as illusive as he thought. A kind-hearted sage had been found standing in front of the temple, waiting for them.

"I was told the Fire Lord was coming. It will be my honor to lead you around the temple, wherever you wish to go to," said the sage.

Zuko raised a brow in doubt. "The other Fire Sages in the palace said that the sage that would tour me around was someone I knew. But I've never seen you before."

The Fire Sage smiled. "I believe you have. We met once when I stayed in the temple on Crescent Island. Of course you never bothered to know my name then—you chained me down after all. My name is Shyu, Fire Lord Zuko."

Zuko felt his throat shrink. "Oh... I remember..." He coughed. "You were the sage that was loyal to the Avatar. That was during the Winter Solstice."

Fire Sage Shyu smiled. "Yes. But I had been transferred here after the war was over. During the war, the other sages had branded me as a traitor. Now, they praise me for my deeds. Fate is a funny thing."

Zuko remembered a similar conversation. "Yes, it is."

o0o

Zuko was led down the spiralling staircase to the Dragon bone Catacombs. Shyu opened Sozin's lair with a touch of Firebending and they went inside. Both of them created small flames to light up the chamber. There was the usual Dragon statue that Zuko had seen before. The scrolls that held the secret demise of avatar Roku was still there.

"So you're looking for the war journals of your Great grandfather." confirmed the Fire Sage. "Behind the Dragon statue, Fire Lord Zuko."

Zuko walked behind the statue and found dozens of scrolls and parchments, all piled up in neat orders and covered with dust and spider-fly webs. He reached out to touch them.

"They're categorized, Fire Lord Zuko. You should find the war journals arranged according to date. Be careful, though... These journals are really old. I suggest putting out your flame before touching them."

Zuko realized his mistake and quickly snuffed his flame. Then, he checked the dates, looking for one that dated a hundred years ago. There was a huge sign on one, saying: "The Arrival of the Comet".

But there was nothing there.

Zuko was about to get angry. "Stop fooling around. Where are the journals?"

"They should be there, Fire Lord Zuko."

Zuko checked again and still came up with nothing. "Stop trying to hide them, Shyu! Where are the journals?"

The Fire Sage held his ground. "I am hiding no secret from you, Fire Lord. I have nothing to hide from you."

Zuko stormed off, leaving Shyu in the dark. "We'll see about that."

Shyu didn't watch Zuko leave. He turned back to the journals. The young Fire Lord was right. There was nothing there. But in its place was water. That wasn't right. This place had been kept dry to preserve the scrolls. The only way that water could have possibly gotten in was if a Fire Sage decided to splash some water on the parchments or a wet hand had reached in.

o0o

"They're holding an assembly, Zuko." said Mai as she caught up beside him. It was hard though. Zuko was walking fast. A fierce determination was on his face and he didn't seem to hear her.

"Were you even listening? There's an assembly going on, but it hasn't started because they were waiting for you," Mai purged.

Zuko was snapped back into reality. "What's the assembly for?"

"It's not really an assembly. It's more of a mourning. A Fire Sage died, Zuko. A lot of royal patrons are attending. And since you're like...the _head_ patron...I think you should go..."

Zuko felt embarrassed, mostly because of his anger. "A Fire Sage died? How did that happen?"

Mai looked into his eyes. "You're one for slow news, huh? It happened last night. Didn't you know?"

Zuko fixed his glare on her, trying not to look too firm. "No. I don't know. I was in an airship, remember?"

"A Fire Sage was attacked last night. They found him drowned in the Plaza pool. He died without much of a fight since the water prevented him from Firebending."

Zuko looked forward, at the streets. "Did anyone find the killer?"

"No."

Zuko felt exhausted. After all the things he had done to bring peace back to the world, he couldn't stop the daily madness that was forcing people to kill everyday. He wished he had that kind of power. He wished he could influence everyone to do good. He hated the feeling of helplessness.

And then, a warm hand was on his cheek. Mai brought their eyes together once more.

"Don't be so strong, Zuko..."

Zuko's eyes went downcast. "The Fire Nation needs me to be strong."

Mai kissed him. When she pulled away, she was smiling. "Not too strong, Zuko."

Zuko smiled. "Are you coming to the mourning with me? You might get bored," he mocked politely.

Mai clipped her arm on Zuko's, counteracting his remarks. "You'll need a tissue when you cry, Zuko."

o0o

General Shinu entered the great halls of the Fire temple with the usual air of annoyance. To only add salt to his wounds, the first person to greet him was Zuko.

But "greet" was probably too light a word to describe Zuko's anger. "Why had I not heard of this death, General? Why didn't you tell me about the murder of the Fire Sage?"

General Shinu maintained composure. "You had just returned from Ba Sing Se, sir. I did not want to bother you with unimportant matters."

"Unimportant? You don't understand the gravity of this situation, General. I _need_ to know everything that goes on in this nation. _Everything_. If the citizens find that I am not fully capable of handling this nation, then they might think twice of appointing me as Fire Lord."

_You aren't capable of handling this nation... You're too young..._ thought General Shinu. But what he said was, "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner sir. I shall report whenever I can."

Zuko stepped forward. "You will report whenever information must be told, no matter how small. Do you understand, General?"

General Shinu nodded. "Yes, sir."

Zuko stared at the moon outside. This mourning was going to take a while. When he looked back at the General, he was already walking away.

"Where are you going General?"

General Shinu didn't look back.

"I'll be getting some fresh air."

o0o

General Shinu locked himself inside a room, making sure he was all alone. When he knew no one was there, he relaxed and straightened himself. He wiped the dust from his uniform.

When he was done with this, he shouted, sending a blaze of fire up into the air.

_I'm sick of this... I'm sick of the little brat pushing me around... I'm sick about running errands for him, acting as his little paperboy..._

But he supposed that he would come to terms with this new life. He considered his usual fortunes and the number of people that would kill for his position. Yes, he was still a very important man.

_Wait... Where am I...?_

"_Hello, General Shinu..._"

General Shinu realized that he was inside the war room—at midnight. He did not consider where he was going. He did not realize that the place he had let off some steam was also the war room.

"Show yourself!" the General shouted. "Conspiring against the Fire Lord is treason and for that, you are under arrest!"

The General felt like a fool, walking around, looking for some voice. He was sure he had heard a voice.

"_Yes, General... you did hear a voice..._"

General Shinu's eyes widened. "Who's there?"

"_Arrest me, will you? And you will do it in the name of the Fire Lord... But he is no Fire Lord to you, is he now...?_"

General Shinu felt like his personal thoughts had been invaded. "I serve whoever sits on the thrown! Show yourself or I release my fire."

A man stepped away from the shadows and into the light.

General Shinu backed up against the wall. "That's _Impossible_... They said you were dead."

Zhao smiled. "_I have overcame a lot of things, General Shinu. Death is one of them. And from the world of the dead, I have come back bearing gifts_."

He snapped his fingers and a small spark of green light flashed in General Shinu's eyes.

.

.

_I will try to commit to my earlier promise—the one where I said that I'd post the first five chapters within a week. I'll try, but it's going to be hard. Long Tests are coming and I don't know if I can type more. I'll do my best though. Just review. They're my food for now._

_And for those wondering why I had to return Zhao, it's because I needed a guy who had been taken by a spirit. And I needed him for one more thing: the Yu Yan archers. Sort of a spoiler now that I typed it._

_For those wondering what'll come next, it'll be Katara and Sokka's turn. Keep reading and find out. Review also. I need input._


	3. Chapter 3: Frozen Wings

Author's Note: I was able to scrap a dozen few ideas together to make this story

_Author's Note: I was able to scrap a dozen few ideas together to make this story. I doubt it will stand to scrutiny and most of the details could be easily dismissed by a number of fans. But this (and many others) is a tribute to Avatar, the Last Airbender. This story is a continuation on my own terms and what I believe could happen. Thank you for reading so far and I'll keep typing. This is for you, Avatar! I hope to see other similar works in the near future._

_Disclaimer: I own no part of Avatar, the Last Airbender. But this story and this plot is entirely of my own creation. Any similarities to the official Avatar plotline are mere coincidences or are used for necessary events in the story. The same goes with the characters and settings._

Book 4

_Air_

Chapter three:

Frozen Wings

**South Pole, Southern Water Tribe**

.

.

Katara was restless so she did not sleep even after the whole tribe resounded with lulls and snores (mostly coming from Sokka). She was thinking about her family, finally together again after the war that had nearly claimed their lives. She was thinking about Toph and how her family was quite happy to see their little daughter so okay. Toph's cheeks had gone so red then that Sokka thought her head had turned into a giant berry. She thought of Zuko and his big responsibility to bring the Fire Nation back in order. And of course, she thought of Aang.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a dazzling light shone on her face from above. The sun was rising and it was creating prismatic colours on the ice. Its light shone over the rim of the ice mountain like a beautiful entity looking into a hole. The Southern Water Tribe had never looked this pretty in ages.

"Good morning, _sunshine_!"

Katara growled. Sokka had the gift to interrupt beautiful moments.

Sokka peeked out of their igloo and looked at Katara who had been sitting in the snow outside. "How did _you_ sleep?"

Katara cast a glance at her brother. "I didn't sleep."

Sokka had this goofy grin on his face. "You should have! The Northern Water Tribe people hunted Yaks throughout the South Pole, collecting their fur. We have fur beds, Katara! _Real_ fur beds! Who thought snow and fur wouldn't make such a nice bed? And we have pillows! Warm, cushy-wushy pillows! Sleeping would have done your face some good."

Katara put a hand on her face. "What's wrong with my _face_?"

Sokka shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know… Maybe a Yak could come up and kiss you, is all I'm saying…" And Sokka crawled back into the igloo, yawning as he did.

Katara, panicking slightly, Waterbending a pool of water on her hands, using the liquid to reflect her face.

She looked fine. In fact, she hadn't looked better in years. And then she remembered what Sokka had said to her.

_Maybe a Yak could come up and kiss you…_

A vein pulsed on her forehead. Her face looked sour now and anger was evident. The liquid on her hands slowly turned into steam.

_Was that boy comparing me to a Yak?_

Sokka was about to pay dearly for that.

.

o0o

.

Dozens of tribe-folk gathered around the igloo. The children found the sight entertaining. The adults were holding their laughter in and getting warm buckets of water. They had gathered there because someone had been shouting for help all morning and it had woken everybody up.

"Uh… Like I said… WOULD SOMEBODY GET ME DOWN FROM HERE?"

The people were all laughing at Sokka's pleas. And not just his pleas, but they were also laughing because, well…

Sokka had been frozen as a statue on top of the igloo. And frozen along with him were the fur bed sheets, wrapped around him like a robe. The fur pillows were frozen on his head, making a quirky looking wig.

"THIS ISN'T FUNNY!" Sokka shouted.

The people begged to differ.

He hadn't been let down until Pakku came to the scene. He raised his hands up, and with a feeling that evoked the flow of water, melted the ice that surrounded Sokka's body.

Sokka was grateful. "Thank you, Master Pa—AAH!"

Sokka slid down the curved surface of the top of the igloo and landed face-first on the snow. A lot of people got a riot out of that one.

Master Pakku scanned the crowd, looking for the only person who'd do this to her own brother. Katara was there beside an adjacent igloo, sniggering when she saw Sokka poking his head out of the snow. Then, Katara saw him looking her way and smiled widely and waved slowly, walking away.

Master Pakku raised a brow. He'd have to talk with that girl.

.

o0o

.

By midday, all the bickering had been resolved and they were back to their goof-around selves.

"We're heading to the town square right?" said Sokka, still amazed by all the news sights of their once barren home. "Don't you see, Katara? We have a town square now. A _town square_. We've never had one of those before!"

Katara raised a brow at Sokka. "Of course we didn't. You were the one building stuff when dad had gone."

Sokka didn't rise to the jibe. "And we have canals now. They criss-cross the entire city! With boats, Katara! Boats that criss-cross with them!" And Sokka followed this statement with exaggerating arm movements and hand signals.

Katara pointed to something she had seen at the ice mountain's inner sides. "What about those? What are they?"

Sokka smiled, happy to indulge himself with some technical details. "They're outer passageways. Pakku told me about them. See the bridges that connect to them? They allow people to come in and out of the mountain for, you know, strolls, hunting, and other various activities."

"But wouldn't that be dangerous?" asked Katara. "What would happen if a curious little seal-turtle found the entrance and got in?"

Sokka raised a knowing finger. "Pakku told me the entrance is kept sealed in ice. Waterbenders guard the entrance and seal them unless a person wants to get through."

Katara appreciated Sokka's knowledge. "I'd love to listen to you yammer all day, but we have to get to the town square right away. The other tribes-folk have already gathered around the central igloo. Maybe you could use that all-knowing head of yours and find us a way to get us there faster."

Sokka rubbed his chin. "Well… there aren't any canals with boats that pass by this part of town… And if we walk, we'll probably be late and dad will kill us…"

Katara growled. "I was asking for options, not consequences."

Sokka smiled at her. "We'll be late of course… if you don't get us there."

Katara felt like she was going in circles. "I was asking you for help, not the other way around."

Sokka tapped his foot on the snow. "I was talking about some Waterbending, Katara…"

Katara smiled when she finally realized what Sokka was talking about. Maybe Sokka wasn't too hyper today. "Sokka, you're a genius!"

.

o0o

.

"I TAKE BACK MY WHOLE PLAN! PUT ME DOWN! I MISS APPA!"

Katara grinned. "Don't be such a cry baby. We're getting there a lot faster, you know."

Sokka held on to Katara like there was no tomorrow. "Stop! Stop! Katara stop!"

Katara didn't stop, only feeling the air rush through her hair. Katara had Waterbended herself a long ice surfboard and skimmed through the snow as if it were waves on a beach. Sokka was not one for surfing. As they shredded their way past surprised-looking locals, Sokka couldn't help but scream on the top of his lungs. Unfortunately, some kids found him amusing and threw snowballs at him.

One snowball landed in his mouth.

"_Ack!_ _Snowball—in—throat_!"

The sudden intake of cold snow was enough to make him release his grip on Katara and fall hard on the ground.

"Sokka! Come on! We're here!"

Sokka chewed hard on the snow until all of it melted, allowing him to swallow the cold water. Katara got a hold of him and dragged him.

They were at the town center. The tribes-folk had gathered around the large central igloo. The commotion was enough to tell anyone that something important was about to happen. Katara and Sokka ducked their way through the crowd, excusing themselves as they bumped with the other people. When they were finally through them, Katara and Sokka entered the large igloo.

.

o0o

.

Gran-gran scolded them as soon as they entered. "Where were you two? The ceremony is about to start! Go get dressed."

Katara gave her grandmother a quick hug. "It's nice to see you too, gran-gran."

Gran-gran smiled warmly. When it was Sokka's turn, she pointed her finger at him. "You! Get dressed now!"

Sokka kept an even smile. "What about a hug first?"

Gran-gran sniffed him once. "You'll get your hug after you don't smell like seal jerky."

Katara sniggered. "Who knows how long that's going to be?"

Sokka groaned and walked away.

Katara reached her father, who was wearing a fancy blue Inuit robe. General Hakkoda groaned with every look at it. She decided to give him some encouragement. "Cheer up dad. You'll do great as the new Tribe chief. I can see it now. _Chief_ Hakkoda. What about it?"

Her father smiled at her. "Chief Hakkoda… It doesn't sound too bad."

Sokka fitted through a blue and white robe, pushing his large head through the small collar. He looked enthusiastic. "Does this mean that I get to be called _Prince_ Sokka now? Suki would love that!"

Katara looked down on the robe she was wearing. She treaded on it and nearly slipped. "This thing is too big. It's like I have my own personal mop following behind me."

Master Pakku walked into the igloo, glancing at his new stepson. "They're waiting for you, Hakkoda."

General Hakkoda nodded. He breathed in and out.

Sokka laughed. "You look tense, dad."

General Hakkoda smiled. "I'm not sure if I can do this…"

Gran-gran patted him on the back. "No time to doubt your abilities now, son. It's time to lead _your_ people."

Katara held her dad's arm. "You'll do great, dad."

General Hakkoda smiled at his daughter. Sokka came in and hugged him. He may not have had much chieftain skills, but he knew one thing: He was prouder than any father in the world. A proud father is the best kind of father. Katara and Sokka agreed with that opinion.

.

o0o

.

The tribes-folk watched as their new chieftain stepped out of the igloo following the rest of the family. A silence came over the crowd as they waited for Hakkoda to speak.

"Fellow Southern Water Tribe kin, with the Avatar's help, we have restored peace to the world once again. The trials and sufferings can be placed behind us now and we can set our paths to restore our once great city.

"As chieftain, I promise to do all I can to make our world a better place. With the help of some Northern Water Tribe Waterbenders, we can solve the current freshwater problem and water delivery system. Master Pakku has spoken to me about designing an ice aqueduct to transport freshwater throughout the city.

"And since new Waterbenders will repopulate the Southern Water Tribe, I will be assigning schools for the bending arts. Any boy born a Waterbender will be taught by Master Pakku."

Katara was about to ask about female Waterbenders when her father continued his speech.

"As for the female Waterbenders, they will be taught the art from my very own daughter, Princess Katara."

A great cheer went up when Katara's name was called. Katara was speechless, not knowing what to think. She looked at her father. Hakkoda looked her in the eye and winked.

Katara couldn't believe it.

Hakkoda looked at all of the people before him. "We have a long path ahead of us before we can attain our goals. But I believe that—"

The sound of drums cut in.

Those were warning drums. They were being signalled from the top of mountain rim by two watchers.

Sokka stared up. "What now?"

Hakkoda jumped into action. "We have to keep everyone safe. If enemies are approaching, I want my men ready for battle."

Master Pakku ran down to them. "They've spotted three airships coming this way."

Hakkoda hummed. "Fire Nation airships. Are they from Fire Lord Zuko?"

Pakku shook his head. "They're not Fire Nation airships. They lack the fiery symbol on its front and they're green with the Earth Kingdom emblem on their sides."

Sokka smiled. "Finally! I told them to come with us to help rebuild the city, but they said they have other people to pick up."

Hakkoda turned to his son. "Who's coming? Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"Oh, but I couldn't tell you about this. It's a surprise."

o0o

.

Katara and Pakku used a large chunk of ice to bring Hakkoda, Sokka, and a bunch of other warriors up the outer slope of the ice mountain. Katara kept her glance fixed on the sky, looking at the three dark shapes that were closing on their little city. Sokka did not tell them who he thought it was in case he could be wrong.

"You shouldn't have done that to your brother, you know…"

Katara had been so busy Waterbending and thinking at the same time, she forgot that her own grandfather was Waterbending right beside her. "I'm, sorry Pakku… What were you saying?"

"Don't even think of changing the topic, Katara. I know it was you. You were the one who froze your brother on top of that igloo."

Katara laughed. "That was just a joke, Pakku. And besides, Sokka started it. He called me a Yak."

"Regardless of what animal he calls you, you should never use your Waterbending for revenge."

"But Pakku, what I was doing wasn't revenge… I just wanted to—"

Master Pakku looked Katara in the eye. "I am your new grandfather now, Katara. And as your new grandfather, I am responsible for disciplining you and your brother since your father will be very busy as tribal chieftain. And my first act of discipline for you will be to stop getting back on your brother."

Katara protested. "_What_?"

"My decision is final Katara."

"But you can't—!"

"It's final Katara…" and Master Pakku smiled at her. "Wow…I can really feel the 'grandpa' role now. I have to tell you, it's very exhilarating."

Katara grunted. _Just great…_

.

o0o

.

On the rim of the ice mountain were four ice lookout posts that allowed watchers to scan the horizon. The group went to the sea-facing outpost and used a long spyglass to glance into the sky. Hakkoda saw them alright. Three airships that _looked_ like they came from the Earth Kingdom were moving noisily through the air and echoed mechanical thrums. Worry was setting in on the new Tribe Elder. Hakkoda turned to Sokka. "Alright, Sokka… I don't want anymore of this anticipation. You could be wrong. I just need you to tell who you think these people are."

Sokka held a smaller spyglass and smiled when he saw who was coming. "Relax, dad. They're friends…"

Katara had a feeling who Sokka was talking about. "It's the Mechanist isn't it?"

Sokka had his spyglass on his right eye. "Not only that, but he brought along a friend."

Sokka handed the spyglass to his sister. Katara gazed into the sky. She looked at the lead airship. On its platform was a balding man, smiling and waving at her, his eyepiece jumping up and down on his face. Beside Katara, Hakkoda was making up his mind on the situation. He recalled his previous encounters with the Mechanist. "You asked the Mechanist to help us with construction?"

Sokka was jumping up and down with joy. "Of course! He created an amazing new image for the Northern Air Temple. Imagine what he could do with the Southern Water Tribe! We could have mechanized elevators and everything!"

Katara wasn't too sure. "But Sokka, the Mechanist uses fire to power his machines and to make metal stuff."

Sokka shrugged. "So?"

Katara tapped her feet on the snow. "We live in a city made of ice, Sokka… Fire usually melts ice, if you didn't know that…"

Sokka rubbed his chin, realizing this new predicament. "Oh…Right…"

Katara peered through the spyglass once more, ignoring the moans of her brother. She thought she'd find the Mechanist's smiley face again, but something appeared out of nowhere. It had appeared out of nowhere—a giant bird of some sort.

Or a person on a glider…

Katara lowered the spyglass. Her heart beat faster. "Is that…_Aang_…?"

.

o0o

.

Not Aang, but the Mechanist's son, Teo. He had jumped off the airship's platform and started gliding his way towards the city using his glider-chair. His performance caught the eyes of the watchers and their group. His "whoops" and cheers were ringing all over the place.

"GO TEO!" Sokka shouted, cheering him on. "SHOW THOSE SEAGULLS HOW IT'S DONE!"

As if on cue, Teo did a good 360 degree turn in the air, rode on a swift thermal and banked low. He spiralled on his dive, making him look like he was about to crash into the sea.

For a few nail-biting moments, Teo did look like he was just going to take a plunge into the icy waters, but he pulled up on the last second—with timing being everything and all. Teo smiled at his own maneuver. He did so well that he swore the seagulls flying beside him were envious.

Too bad he had paid little attention to these birds. These birds were territorial and they didn't like the fact that their air was being invaded by a giant green moth.

Teo was enjoying his glide, carefully skimming over the churning southern seas.

And then, there was a shudder.

There was another shudder.

Teo grabbed hold of the control stick and started moving the glider. Something was wrong. Looking up, he noticed that the glider fabric had holes in them…_by the birds_.

.

o0o

.

Katara and Sokka were already running down the length of the ice mountain's slope. They had noticed the birds before Teo did. In a few seconds, and with the help of Waterbending, both of them were at the ice beach within the inlet. Katara wasted no time to Waterbend a small ice boat. Sokka jumped in.

Sokka stayed ahead. "Let's go!"

Katara placed her hands by her mouth. With one swipe backward from both of her arms, the ice boat rocketed forward, creating foam behind them. They moved rapidly across the water, sounding like a whiplash across the sea.

Sokka looked at Teo with his spyglass. "He's not doing so well, Katara… We've got to move faster!"

Katara concentrated hard, pushing hard on the water. The ice boat moved so fast that chips of ice started breaking apart from its front.

"He's flying too low now," said Sokka. He lowered his vision and spied sharp and small icebergs just below him. "We've got problems, Katara… Iceberg ahead…"

Sokka watched as a strong updraft forced Teo back up into the air, but spinning wildly, like an unstable top. The glider rattled and jerked, making Teo's experience an unforgettable one. They were so close now that they could hear his shouts for help.

Sokka lowered the spyglass. "It's that blasted glider! If it jolts too much, it could cause him to fall over! We need to cut it loose!"

"But isn't the glider the only thing that's keeping him from a watery grave?" asked Katara.

Sokka was confident. "You're wrong on two accounts. First, the glider may very well force him into the water. If the glider won't kill him, the icebergs will. Second, _we're_ also keeping him from a watery grave. Do you think you could throw some icicles and cut off that glider harness?"

"I don't think it will reach, Sokka."

Sokka was pressed for a solution. If only he had his boomerang, he could cut through it. And then, he had an idea. "I've got it! I'll cut it with a boomerang!"

Katara didn't follow. "But didn't you lose it?"

"Yes, but you can make me one."

Katara instantly realized what he meant and Waterbended a liquid blob into a curved shape. When she had frozen it, Sokka grabbed the makeshift boomerang and flung it into the air, hoping his precision would guide it.

The boomerang wheeled in the air, making its way to Teo in a curved motion. Teo had seen the thing through his mind's eye and he ducked his head for cover. The boomerang struck the glider harness—but shattered into a hundred little pieces, all carried away by the wind.

Sokka groaned. "I was sure it would work…"

The ice boat and the glider were now meters away from each other. Katara started slowing them down. Sokka kept watching Teo, when he realized—

"The harness is breaking off!" he rejoiced.

Katara stopped the ice boat completely, watching Teo coming right for them. The glider was ripped away and only a falling little boy was left. Teo was a screaming banshee.

Katara Waterbended a long tentacle of water. She fluidly swept the tentacle upward, pushing it with the flow of her hand. Teo closed his eyes as the tentacle wrapped around him and strongly pulled him down. The force was so strong that his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

Teo was slowly placed on the ice boat. Sokka caught him in his arms.

Finally, Teo was breathing normally. He coughed as he spoke.

"I'll never show-off in front of birds again…"

.

o0o

.

That night, everyone had gathered around the central igloo of the city. It had been an eventful day filled with ceremonies, the coming of old friends, some wild adventures, and the occasional, "_The bird was this big…_" story. There was no need to light a bonfire. The moon above lit the interior of the ice mountain and made wonderful glows. It even made everyone feel warm.

Sokka and Katara were sitting within the circle of the Mechanist and his men. They were all chewing on good southern meat.

The Mechanist still continued with his ranting. "I have to say, my boy, that was the most splendid rescue attempt you have ever done—and I'm glad that you did it on my son."

Everyone chuckled briefly. No one could laugh long enough and stop eating. The food was scrumptious.

The Mechanist continued praising him. "I would be dancing right now if it wasn't for my…eh…leg problem…"

Sokka glanced down at the Mechanist's legs again. It surprised him to know that both the man's legs were bandaged and tied together. Now, both he and his son were confined to wooden wheelchairs. But the Mechanist wasn't so down. Like he kept saying when Sokka first saw him in this condition: "_Like father, like son…_"

"Just curious," said Sokka. "How did that happen? An experiment of some sort…?"

The Mechanist laughed. "Sort of…"

Katara looked at the faces of each of the Earth Kingdom people. "You brought a lot of people for some small construction project, huh?"

The Mechanist shook his head. "Well, most of these people just wanted to come. Mostly because they're afraid to be left behind in the Air Temple."

Katara sipped some hot soup. "Oh. Why is that?"

The Mechanist's face fell. "There are rumors being passed around. There was a man in an Earth Kingdom village. Sucked the air right out of his lungs, was what happened! It was so strange!"

Sokka was listening. "What could do such a thing?"

The Mechanist raised a finger, sounding edgy and playing his act safe. "I believe that there was some sort of weather anomaly, like a tornado, that did that to him. Of course, that would mean he would have died, but that's what I believe."

Katara could tell that the Mechanist was hiding something. "That's what you believe…" said Katara slowly. "What do the rest of the people believe…?"

The Mechanist sighed.

"They believe it's the Avatar. They believe that Aang did it."

.

o0o

.

It was the middle of the night and someone rustled Sokka from his sleep. Sokka pushed the hand away, annoyed. He grabbed more of his fur blankets and groaned like the tired little baby he was.

"_Stop pushing me…_" said Sokka, half-asleep. "_I'm sleeping here, mommy…_"

Katara rolled her eyes and continued pushing him to wake up. "_Come on… We have to go before somebody knows we're gone…_"

Sokka rubbed his eyes and yawned, irritated. "_Who knows…? What's going on…? Where are we going…?_"

"_Quiet!_" she hissed. "_Someone could hear—_"

"Too late for that, Katara."

Katara Waterbended the top of the igloo, turning the snow transparent so moonlight could shine in. She saw who had spoken to her. It was Master Pakku. His arms were crossed and he was glaring at her

Sokka continued rubbing his eyes. "Why is _everyone_ in _my_ room?"

Katara turned to him. "There's only one room in this igloo, Sokka…"

Sokka turned to Katara. "What did you mean, '_we have to go_'? Where are we going?"

"Yes," said Pakku. "I think both of us would love to know where _you're_ going."

Katara stood up and confronted her grandfather, fists clenched. "We're going to find Aang. And you can't stop us."

Master Pakku raised a questioning brow. "You think I can't stop you? I have all the reasons to stop you, Katara. I overheard what you were talking about in your circle and I knew you'd do something about it. As your grandfather, I can't have this recklessness in the family, Katara. You can't just do anything that you want."

Katara actually stomped her feet in protest. "You don't understand! This is about Aang! They think he killed someone!"

Sokka got to his feet. "It's just a rumor, Katara. I don't even think for a second that Aang could kill anybody."

Katara stared at her brother with disbelief. "Are you actually siding with Pakku? Aang could be in trouble!"

Sokka groaned. "I'm not siding with anybody! I just want to sleep!"

"Aang is the Avatar," said Pakku matter-of-factly. "He has the ability to solve any problem that comes against him. You're just worried. Go back to sleep Katara."

"Aang's our friend!" Katara spoke. "I'm going and you're not stopping us!"

"No!" said Pakku, vehemently. "You're staying here, Katara! I'm responsible for your safety! Do you want to separate from your family again?"

Katara stepped back, caught off- guard. "O-Of course not…!"

"Then you're staying here! You're staying here and you're going back to—!"

"_Let them go, Pakku…_"

Master Pakku was startled. "Kanna… You're here…"

Gran-gran offered her granddaughter a soft smile. "Katara told me all about it—that she was leaving again… She's big enough and she's quite capable of handling herself. Sokka is quite capable, but not much. (Sokka grunted). She has my permission and the permission of her father to leave…"

Master Pakku stuttered. "But Kanna…"

Kanna smiled at Pakku. She placed an assuring hand on Katara's shoulder. "I have always believed in Katara's judgment. If she feels that her friend is in trouble, then she'll go to the ends of the earth to fix it. That's how you were with me, Pakku. Let them go."

Master Pakku turned to Katara. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

Gran-gran answered instead of Katara. "Because she knew how you would react. You always were the angry sort. But I believe you can change. I believed it when you came back here."

Katara smiled at Pakku. "I believed it a long time ago."

Master Pakku stepped closer to Katara. "I'm sorry about all this… You have my permission to leave…"

Katara reached out and hugged her grandfather, kissing him on the cheek. "I won't be long, grandpa."

Pakku smiled. "Find Aang then."

Katara turned to Sokka. "Let's go, Sokka. We have to leave before first light."

Sokka stood up and gave Katara a long and warm hug. Katara hugged back. When Sokka stepped away, there were tears welling up in his eyes. "I'm not going this time, Katara."

Katara said nothing.

"I have a lot to do here and someone will have to supervise the Mechanist. You'll have to go on your own now. Find Aang for us. And if ever you need help, you're just one messenger hawk away." Sokka said smiling. "You know that you can always count on me."

"And me," said Gran-gran.

"Me too," chided Pakku.

Katara laughed. The four of them hugged one last time and Katara smiled at them.

A moment later, Sokka said: "NOW CAN ALL OF YOU GET OUT OF MY ROOM?"

.

.

_Good. I was able to finish this one. I'm still hoping for more to like the story. Reviews are good, especially since this is my first fanfic. Flames are well accepted—especially if they're constructive criticism. Anyone with ideas is welcome to share them with me._

_Also, I am thankful for my first two reviewers. I've never been reviewed before so I just like to say that it was pretty cool to read reviews._

_For those wondering what's coming next, it's either going to be about Toph or/and General Shinu. If anyone asks questions, I'll be replying through the stories themselves._

_Lastly, I'm trying to make the story as close to the Avatar reality as possible. That means that I might not include new characters (General Shinu isn't a new character, for those who don't know). Creating new characters could question the credibility and reality of the story._

_Stay tuned for more._

_._

_--Kojab8890_


	4. Chapter 4: Buried Deep

Author's Note: I was able to scrap a dozen few ideas together to make this story

_Author's Note: I was able to scrap a dozen few ideas together to make this story. I doubt it will stand to scrutiny and most of the details could be easily dismissed by a number of fans. But this (and many others) is a tribute to Avatar, the Last Airbender. This story is a continuation on my own terms and what I believe could happen. Thank you for reading so far and I'll keep typing. This is for you, Avatar! I hope to see other similar works in the near future._

_Disclaimer: I own no part of Avatar, the Last Airbender. But this story and this plot is entirely of my own creation. Any similarities to the official Avatar plotline are mere coincidences or are used for necessary events in the story. The same goes with the characters and settings._

Book 4

_Air_

Chapter four:

Buried Deep

**Ba Sing Se, New Bei Fong Estate**

It was midweek and Toph was getting excited, asking a friendly servant to help fancy her up a bit. She had been given many comforts—and an equal amount of limitations. Her parents had followed her escapades, hearing stories of the "Blind Bandit". Some stories had caused fainting spells and trauma. In a way, they were afraid for their daughter.

But all that had changed when they had found their little girl on the doorstep of their old house, surrounded by friends. They dropped to their knees in front of their daughter, reaching out, taking her into their arms.

Toph felt her cheeks flush when her parents had thrown their arms around her. She hugged them back, nestling her head on the side of her father's. Tears streamed down their cheeks. When she tried to speak, to apologize for all the pain she had put them through, Toph's voice cracked and it only made her cry more.

They were a family again.

Her father no longer hid her daughter from the world, instead, he held her on his shoulders, telling everyone that her daughter had helped in saving the world. (Though, most of the people's reactions were: "_You had a daughter?_")

But like all parents that loved their children, they had restrictions.

The new estate they had built here in Ba Sing Se was made from earth, but tiled with wood boards from floor to ceiling. No Earthbending was allowed in the house and this made sure of that. She was allowed to go out of the house, but her parents had to be told firston _where_ she was going and _who_ she was going to meet with. If her parents didn't like her company, she was not allowed to see them.

The new rules suited Toph more than her old life with her parents and she enjoyed it happily. Her parents continued living the life of the fortunate and wealthy, seeking out the best of everything. They had started their new life here working as advisers to the Earth King, who had returned after his long absence.

But despite all the new comforts in her life, Toph was still desperate for friends.

And it was because of this particular reason why Toph anticipated for each midweek day.

Her father caught sight of her slowly coming down the wooden stairs, taking hold of the railings as only a blind girl would. "Why, you look exceptionally beautiful today…" he said. "You don't usually like wearing sophisticated clothes. Is there any particular reason…a boy, I presume?"

Toph had the grace to blush. "Oh…No… I just wanted to get prepared for this afternoon."

Her father smiled. "Ah. Yes. I remember now. Today is our 'tea day'. That old man did make wonderful tea."

Since her parents had only wanted the best of everything, that included the best tea. It wasn't hard to find the best tea in the upper ring of Ba Sing Se. It was _supposedly_ hard to rent the entire tea shop for an entire day once a week. But Toph had recommended the tea shop and her parents loved the tea. So, in the end, every week, on midday, Iroh would welcome them to his shop and serve tea to them, playing the Sunghi horn as a profitable bonus.

"Is our carriage ready to leave?" Toph asked.

"I'm sorry, but we're not going to the Jasmine Dragon today," said her father. "The old man said that he had closed the shop for today. He stated no reason but promised to offer a longer stay for the same price the next time we visit."

"Oh…"

Her father instantly saw her daughter's face fall. It was clear that she was terribly disappointed. "I suppose…" he said, trying to cheer her up. "If you want to go out for a stroll, I can arrange it…"

But Toph was already on her way up, dangerously taking two stair steps at a time. "It's okay… I'll be fine…"

.

o0o

.

When Toph shut the door to her room, she realized her feet were trembling. She couldn't stop it no matter how hard she forced herself to stop. It spread throughout her body like a disease, going up her legs and onto her hands. She had never felt so alone and isolated from her friends than ever before. She rattled.

_There's only one way Iroh would ever stop a tea party… Something bad must have happened to him… He could have been attacked… He could have been captured…_

Toph fumbled through her belongings, shaking on every thought. She found what she was looking for: her meteor fragment.

_I have to hurry… I'm the only one who knows what happened to him… Iroh has to be rescued…_

Toph hated her inability to "see" in her room. When she had been brought to her new house, the darkness was an agony with every step. Where was she going? What did she hit? Toph was experiencing all those feelings again, but now they were doubled with her need to get out of the house undetected.

_I can't let them know I'm leaving! I can't! If they find me, they will stop me and I'm powerless to fight back… They'll think I'm crazy… But they don't know what happened to Iroh… They just don't know!_

Toph's foot hit an uneven plank of wood and she fell to the floor. She hit her knee and it throbbed in a rhythmic painful manner. But she didn't stay down for long. She stood up and felt for the nearest wooden wall. Once she found it, she threw the meteor fragment on the wall, making a splat. She pulled her hand back and punched it.

The punch resonated throughout the whole house.

Toph felt the meteor fragment on the wall. The thing didn't break through the wood like she hoped for.

So she punched again. And again. And again. Her teeth were mashed together. Her feet still trembled on the floor. Her nerves were shot.

_I have to get out of here… Who knows how much time Iroh has left__…? What if I'm too late? But I won't be… But what if…_

Smash. Crunch. Bam. Slam.

_Then that means I'm too late to save Iroh… That means he's dead…_

Toph stopped, resting her bruised knuckles on her knees. She was still surrounded in blackness, punching the only thing she could see.

_NO! I WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN!_

Toph drove her fist straight through the meteor fragment and snapped the wood into bristles. When she had pulled her fist back, the wood fell to the floor, exposing the earthen structure behind it. Toph placed her hand on its rough surface.

She stepped back and extended her arms forward. In blinding speed, Toph crossed her arms on her chest, pulling the earth behind the wooden wall. The wood in front of her snapped and a cylindrical earth shape had moved forward.

"HA!"

Toph thrust the earth back out, breaking it into pieces and making a large hole that was big enough for her to go through.

Someone was banging on her door.

"_Toph! What's going on! Open this door this instant!_" shouted her father.

Toph jumped out of the hole and landed on the ground, creating a large crater. In quick succession, Toph drove herself forward, riding on an earth wave. She smashed her way through the estate walls and into the city streets.

.

o0o

.

**Ba Sing Se, the Grand Palace**

The Grand Palace was no longer filled with people wearing green. It was now a place filled with all sorts of cultures and representatives from different nations. Two esteemed guests were here to visit the Earth King today. One was Chief Arnook in blue from the Northern Water Tribe. The other was War Minister Qin, now a Fire Nation delegate.

All these important people were gathered to discuss about helping one another and fixing torn areas of the world. An assembly had been called and it had been decided that Chief Arnook would supply food, water, and the other necessities to the people whose lives have been wrecked. The Earth King would provide houses to those that had been stripped of them during the war. Fire Nation delegate Qin would be the one to move Chief Arnook's supplies throughout the Earth Kingdom using the Fire Nation's vast fleet of ships.

After the meeting, the three of them walked down the halls, continuing their conversation.

"So it's settled then," said Chief Arnook. "Fire Navy ships will come to the Northern Water Tribe and deliver all our supplies to those who need it."

The Fire delegate nodded. "My ship and I will accompany you to the North Pole when you return to your homeland. I will inspect the supplies first before I send in the rest of the ships."

Chief Arnook smiled. "I tell you now, Qin, you'll love the North Pole. Have you ever been there?"

The Fire delegate smiled. "I've heard of it, Chief."

The Earth King smiled at their banter. "I'm still surprised that they sent you here. No one told us you were coming. The messenger hawk arrived late. And I thought the Fire Lord would be the one to represent his country."

Qin held his head high. "Fire Lord Zuko has many responsibilities as of the moment. There are a lot of concerns and problems in the Fire Nation alone. I'm sorry if we were not able to tell you in advance."

The Earth King joyfully patted the man on the back. "It's okay. Now, would you like to take up that earlier offer of mine…to tour the Upper Ring that is? I'd recommend taking a ride on the monorail, but I dare say to take it when no one wants to ride. It's too public for my taste."

Qin smiled and politely refused. "I have some important matters to attend to, your Highness."

The Earth King nodded. "Of course. I understand completely."

.

o0o

.

The Fire emissary walked to an isolated area, at the corner of one side of the palace. This was a blind spot, where shadows compiled themselves over one area and concealed anyone within it. When Fire delegate Qin stepped into the blind spot, no one could see him and so, he disappeared.

The man tapped his foot on the floor.

Suddenly, rushing air from underneath pushed his robes up. A nauseating feeling crept up his stomach, making it seem as if his gut had flipped. The floor beneath him was going down and he was going down along with it.

Qin was now belowground, still moving down. He could see the old ruins of Ba Sing Se. There was a waterfall and a small canal. The cavern was lit by fluorescent rocks on the ground, walls, and ceilings.

Finally, he came to the end of his ride and he was on the cavern floor surrounded by four men in green and white robes. They wore flattened cone hats that concealed their eyes.

Dai Li agents.

"There is a message for you, sir," said one of them.

Qin smiled. "Is it from him?"

The Dai Li agent nodded.

Qin opened the message quickly, scanning through the words. By the time he finished reading the note, he was smiling. "Are the rest of the agents in position throughout Ba Sing Se?"

"Yes sir."

This made Qin smile all the more. "Alright. We do not begin until we get the other message. And there is still one more person needed for our act. You know where his cell is. Lead me to him."

.

o0o

.

Long Feng woke up when someone banged on the metal door of his cell. A visitor was a surprise. A lot of things surprised him nowadays. Food was a surprise. Either you got a lot of it or you got none of it. And who knows? The food tasted like unwashed dresses anyways. And why were prison cells so dark? Some other lights would be nice. One time, it was so dark that Long Feng bit what he though was a dark and long sausage and realized that it was actually his long braided hair.

"…Should I stop you from babbling, or do you want to continue?" said Qin.

Long Feng looked at the man's face through the bars. "I wasn't babbling…"

Qin smiled. "Oh, but you were…something about eating your own hair…"

Long Feng stood up and gazed at the man through the bars, recalling the conversation. "You're Fire Nation. Hmmm… The war is over and you're making small talk with a prisoner. I expect an ulterior motive…"

Qin laughed. "They told me you were deductive. And that wit of yours could get you in chains."

Long Feng stepped forward. "Who told you?"

And in that instant, he saw the Dai Li agents standing beside Qin. A smile grew on his face. "So you do have an ulterior motive… Did that Fire Nation brat come back here to deliver my agents?"

"The Princess isn't quite…well, Mister Feng." And he signaled to an agent. "As for you, well…we're letting you out."

A Dai Li agent reached and unlocked the cell. Long Feng stepped out, dazed by the light. Another agent took hold of his cuffs and took them off. Long Feng rubbed his wrists. "What is it this time? I'm assuming you're working with someone else. I doubt a person like you could be the mastermind behind this thing you're doing. Your pointy face tells me that you are mentally incapable of anything at all."

Qin snapped. "HOW DARE YOU—!!" And then, he exhaled and inhaled. "I can throw you back in, Long Feng."

Long Feng smiled. "But you won't, now would you?"

The Fire Emissary exhaled. "No. Not of this moment."

The two of them started walking down the hallway, heading back to the cavern. Qin initiated the conversation. Treason was their topic. And it wasn't just treason against one nation, but treason at a large scale—a treason with a magnitude that could consume the world.

"What you're asking of me…?" said Long Feng. "I've never done anything like it before—and to the entire Ba Sing Se… It would be easier if the Earth King didn't have much power now, but it's just too hard, even with the Dai Li at my disposal…"

Qin nodded. "I understand. But it won't be just the Dai Li under your disposal. The one who sent me will deliver other troops…troops with a little bit more precision. That precision is something we'll need for our agendas."

Long Feng gave Qin a questioning glance. "And I doubt you'll be here to oversee this entire operation, am I right?"

"Yes. I have other important matters… I've been recently tasked by the Earth King and a Northern Water Tribe chieftain to head north and gather supplies for the homeless," Qin said lightly.

Long Feng chuckled. "Another ulterior motive. Very good. I believe we are people of the same goals, Minister Qin, destined for greater things in life."

The two looked at each other and shook hands.

Qin stopped for a second. "And another thing. The Earth King has new advisers. You have to take them out quietly. I know that is your specialty, but their family concerns me. The guards won't do much of a battle, but the daughter is a formidable opponent."

Long Feng nodded. "Then this situation will require me to play a black card."

.

o0o

**Ba Sing Se, Upper Ring, Jasmine Dragon**

**BOOM!!**

Toph ran through the new entrance she had made on the tea shop. Her feet bombarded the ground. She shouted.

"IROH! IROH! I've come to rescue you!"

An old man hurried through the shop's kitchen with nothing but a towel around his hips. He dripped water all over the floor and he looked just as frantic and rattled as Toph. He too was shouting: "WHAT? WHAT? AM I IN TROUBLE? WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES?"

Toph was too shaken to "see" or hear him. She felt him coming towards her and she acted. "Get away from me!" And she slammed her feet on the ground.

Iroh shouted too late. "Hey! Wait—!"

But the rest of his protests were pulled away by the wind as he flew right into the shop's roof. When the smoke cleared, Iroh's towel was the only thing keeping him from falling to the ground—and exposing the rest of him.

"Wait!" He shouted once more. "Can't you see me?"

Toph stepped back, listening to the voice. She could see him and she realized her mistake. "I'm blind…"

Iroh wiped his forehead. "Whew! Thank goodne—whoa!"

And Iroh fell to the ground, towel still in place.

Toph helped him back up. "I'm really sorry…"

Iroh got back up. He took one look at the girl and smiled. "Generally, when someone smashes into a tea shop, they demand money. But I can see that this is an exceptional case. This time, you need tea…"

.

o0o

.

Toph sat quietly in the tea shop's kitchen, hugging her legs. A mat was laid on the floor. This place was Iroh's bedroom. And on the windowpane was a little flower in a fitting vase. All her emotions were mixing now. The one that stood out the most was guilt—a lot of guilt. When Iroh came back, he was fully clothed and he carried two warm glasses of tea on a tray.

Iroh glanced at the fancy gown that she was wearing. It had been soiled everywhere. "You must have run away from a fancy dress party… It looks good on you, but you have dust and sand everywhere…"

Toph was still sullen. "Why did you cancel our tea party…?"

Iroh rubbed his tummy slowly. "I wasn't feeling so good. Making tea when you don't feel so good is a bad sign… I could accidentally spill something into the tea and—"

Toph raised her hand. She thought twice about the tea in her hand. "I get the picture…"

Iroh rubbed his beard and imagined what Toph's life had been like these past few days. He knew her parents well and they were one of his best customers. They were a wealthy family known throughout the Earth Kingdom. "Sometimes, when we have everything, we think of the things we lack… Or the things we let go…"

Toph buried her head on her knees, listening.

"I can only imagine what it's like to miss your friends. It is a pain that shakes the soul. I cannot ease such pain with words or tea. But I have a token. A friend of yours left this in the shop.

Toph felt a piece of paper being placed on her hands. "I can't read it."

"You don't need to read it," smiled Iroh. "You can already feel your friend's strokes on the paper. When your friend made that drawing, he did not mean to leave a piece of himself behind. But he did. And now, it is yours to keep.

Toph sipped the tea. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. You said earlier that you got the picture. I think this is most appropriate…"

Toph rubbed her hand on the rough surface of the paper. It was Sokka's hand, no doubt. And just knowing that made her feel good and her feet no longer shook. _A piece of her friend…_ A gentle peace went over her. She could not see what was on the paper but she could feel it.

"Yes… I do get the picture…"

.

.

**Ba Sing Se, Upper Ring, ****Ruins of old Ba Sing Se**

It was a flower today.

Smellerbee and Longshot had once again sneaked past the royal guards of the palace and went down the tunnel that led all the way to the underground ruins of old Ba Sing Se. They too had their midweek ritual. Longshot led the way, making sure that no one saw them—because if anyone saw them down here, they would be imprisoned. Smellerbee had her weapons drawn, checking behind in case someone had spotted them. But now, they were breathing easily. They were only cautious when they were above ground, where royal guards patrolled everywhere. But now that they were below, they could relax. Ever since the Dai Li had been taken by the Fire Nation, no one patrolled the old ruins anymore—even when the Fire Nation occupied Ba Sing Se for a short period of time.

Longshot moved into a run with Smellerbee right behind him. They still had much ground to cover if they wanted to make it all the way to the area underneath Lake Laogai.

When they finally arrived, Smellerbee pushed open the door to the abandoned cavern.

And there was Jet.

.

o0o

.

Smellerbee held tight on the stem of the flower, nearly crushing it. A soft hand was placed on her shoulder. Smellerbee looked up and saw the strong face of Longshot. He nodded once and Smellerbee nodded back. Both of them stepped into the hollow cavern, making clear that they had filled it with their presence.

It was always like this every week. During the first few weeks, it was pain. After that, it was just tears. And after that, it was silence. But they continued with the ritual.

It became obvious that they should leave Jet in the middle of the underground Dai Li headquarters. This was where Jet had triumphed as a Freedom Fighter, striking the very heart of the enemy that had claimed Ba Sing Se. He had won here and this was his place to rest.

There was no great ceremony made for Jet—no big flowery grave. Just a mound of earth lay on the top of his body and a large epitaph placed on it.

.

.

_JET_

_A Freedom Fighter…still fighting…_

_Victorious to the end._

_._

_._

All the tears had been spent on the days that followed after his demise. Now, they only said short words and gave small items.

Today, it was a flower.

"I found this among the weeds in an old farmer patch… It's still beautiful despite all the things that told it to die…" spoke Smellerbee. "The flower watched its family die, and it carried on, showing everything else that it could still be beautiful… Just like you, Jet… Just like you…"

Smellerbee turned to Longshot. He knelt down and placed a firm hand on the mound—his sign of grief. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

Longshot looked at Smellerbee, motioning for them to leave. Smellerbee took a hint and stood up. The two walked out the cavern without taking another last look or saying any "goodbyes". This was how they did it. Tokens and short words—all before they would leave. Smellerbee was the first out the door.

Then, Longshot stopped her.

"What?"

Longshot crossed his finger over his mouth. Smellerbee kept quiet and listened.

There were voices—other voices.

Someone else was down here.

.

o0o

.

Long Feng threw all his hatred back at the Dai Li agents, sending them flying through the air. He did it one by one, all in fast sequence. The Earthbenders had no time to counter-attack and they left themselves completely vulnerable. Long Feng's eyes were rabid. "_That's what you get for switching sides!_"

Those that landed first were ready to fight back, but they didn't. It wasn't there place. It looked like a sign of compassion, but no. These people were restraining themselves from attacking, knowing that fighting back would only worsen the task that was set for them—making the difficult impossible.

Long Feng laughed. "It's always good to let off some steam after spending a few months in a dark prison cell. Now… back to business…

"Minister Qin has told me all about the plan to overrun the capital. He has told me that everything is in place and all they need is a signal. But he also told me that in order to reach the Earth King, we must first take out the Earth King's new advisers. Stealth is our essence and no one must ever know anything that happens to them. If word breaks out that someone is dead, it will pull back our plans. So, if anyone witnesses the ambush, never hesitate to do everything necessary to make sure that rumors never catch on. Elimination is our only option."

.

o0o

.

Longshot and Smellerbee were listening by the doors. A short tap on Smellerbee's shoulder told her that they should keep going.

When they were finally far enough, she spoke. "We're the only ones that know about this," she said to Longshot. "What do we do?"

Longshot kept his eyes forward. "We need the others."

Smellerbee nodded. "And once we find them, what do we do? And what about the Earth King's advisers?"

Longshot was silent. For a while, Smellerbee thought Longshot was conveying a message to her. Then, she realized that there was nothing on his face. There were no expressions. Longshot didn't have an answer.

.

.

**Ba Sing Se, Upper Ring, New Bei Fong Estate**

"You don't understand!" shouted Toph's father to the guard. "We have to find her! It's already nightfall! Who knows what could happen to her?"

"Uh huh…" said the guard as he nodded and started writing that down on a piece of paper. "And where do you think she went?"

"I don't know! Isn't that part of your job? You're the one who should find her!"

"Yes, yes…" he slurred, taking more notes on the paper.

Toph's mother poked her head out of the door. "She's here…"

Toph's father was relieved. "Is she?"

"She's in her room."

The father turned back to the guard. "Your services are no longer required."

The guard nodded. "Do I still get paid?"

The door slammed in his face.

"Hello…?"

The man shrugged and walked away.

.

o0o

.

Toph's father climbed up the stairs in a hurry. He had to see it with his own eyes. He would give Toph the scolding of a lifetime. You could tell by the look on his face. His feet also made noisy sounds on the wood.

But when he came upon her room, he stopped immediately.

Toph was already sleeping on her bed, not bothering to change her fancy little dress before sleeping. Her face was peaceful and a small smile was on her face. His rush to see her nearly made hade her rouse from her sleep. He stepped back, closing the wooden door. The light from outside shrunk as the door close. Her father saw something nailed to the wall beside her bed. A piece of paper with a drawing of some sort. It was a horrible drawing, probably made by Toph herself.

And on it where her friends.

Somehow, she had managed to gather all her friends in her room.

Her father believed that she would sleep peacefully tonight.

.

.

.

_Thanks for those who have read thus far. I'm keeping it coming. Reviews are good and I thank those who have reviewed. Ron Mangley, I am going to keep the story truthful to the plot and the title of the series, don't worry. How I'll do that can only be told as the story continues. But I thank you and the others for your praises._

_The next story returns us back to General Shinu and the preparations being made. I'll see if I can cut Aang in._

_Reviews. Flames. Anything would be nice. The fifth chapter will be pretty substantial and if I can get the plot right, it'll be to my taste. Oh! And tell me if there are typos… I'll need to edit them as the story progresses..._

_Thank you all._


	5. Chapter 5: Violent Winds

ATTENTION

_ATTENTION! TO ALL READERS, I HAVE ADDED A LITTLE CONTINUATION TO THE LAST CHAPTER, CHAPTER 4. I felt that there were lacking details… And I forgot to put in the reason why the title was "Buried Deep" in the first place. _**So if you want to make sense of everything to come, I suggest going back before you read this chapter.**_ Thank you and I appreciate all your input… I just needed Toph to have more substance. __**Note: if you started reading the whole story after 8/11/08, then you don't have to go back.**_

_Disclaimer: I own no part of Avatar, the Last Airbender. But this story and this plot is entirely of my own creation. Any similarities to the official Avatar plotline are mere coincidences or are used for necessary events in the story. The same goes with the characters and settings._

Book 4

_Air_

Chapter five:

Violent Winds

**Fire Nation, Grand Plaza, Shinu Residence**

It could be said that General Shinu had seen a ghost. He was always glancing around, looking behind him, and checking for nothing. He was hypersensitive to everything, even the slightest squeal could make him jump. Everyone thought the pressure must have finally gone to his head and Zuko did less to ease the pain.

So General Shinu was spooked.

But General Shinu knew the truth. He had seen Zhao that night, but it had been quick—too quick to be real. He had disappeared as soon as he caught sight of a flash. And the more the General thought of it, the less it became real. The experience could be related to a dream.

So, when Zhao appeared to him again the next week, he nearly fainted.

"You're not here!" shouted General Shinu, too frightened to gaze into his eyes. "This isn't real! I'm in my room, sleeping!"

Zhao smiled at him. "_I can assure you, General, that all of this is real—even the third arm on your back._"

"_WHAT?_"

Zhao laughed. "_Got you…_"

General Shinu was sweating profusely. "Wha-What are you doing here? Are you here to take my soul away?"

Zhao was enjoying the moment. "_What? No. No. Why would I do that?_"

"How? How are you alive?"

Zhao sighed, sounding displeased. "_I'm not exactly alive, General Shinu. Just visiting. So…how are things?_"

"Stay back! Stay back!"

Zhao was running low on patience. "_Sit still, General Shinu! I won't even touch you! I have no wish to kill you! I'm here to ask for your help!!_"

"What do you need me for?"

"_For power_," said Zhao, a toothy grin on his face. "_As simple as that._"

And for a moment, a horrible chill ran down General Shinu's spine.

.

o0o

.

It was after these sparsest of conversations that General Shinu began to relax. He had prepared tea for some reason, thinking that Zhao was old company. But Zhao told him he could not consume food nor drink anything. So he drank both teas.

"What you're expecting me to do," said the General in mid-sip. "It's too big. I can't move around town without someone noticing me. And what about the Fire Lord? He'll know that I'm not around. Zuko will suspect something."

Zhao nodded. "_Yes… I believe that's true… But there is no need to worry. All you have to do is tell Zuko that you're going away for awhile, to gather information… Give him tidbits he won't refuse._"

"I don't understand this." asked the General. "Why are you even doing this, Zhao?"

"_For revenge!_" Zhao shouted. "_It is a revenge that has consumed my soul and kept me going after my death! Zuko took from me what was rightfully mine and it is his to pay!_"

"But what you're doing," spoke Shinu, "You're not only doing this to one nation, Zhao. You're doing this to the whole world. Why not just murder Zuko in his sleep?"

"_You don't understand, General! Zuko isn't the only one. It was the Avatar that claimed my life! He bridged that wretched Ocean Spirit into this world! I will kill him and make sure that the cycle never continues! What I'm doing—everything that I planned for—isn't going to kill the Avatar. I'm well aware of that._"

General Shinu didn't understand. "Then what _are_ you doing?"

"_I'm getting his attention…_"

.

o0o

.

Zhao discussed the bones of his plan and everyone involved in it. As General Shinu listened, he realized many important factors that scared him or made his stomach feel hollow. He also realized his importance in Zhao's plans. He had a key role and if Zhao hadn't reached him, a lot of his plans would collapse in his ears. But that didn't mean General Shinu was still going for this. He still didn't feel it was right.

And he noticed one thing, too.

It should make sense that General Shinu would think that Zhao had changed. After all, he had come back from the dead. But something in the man's tone and his passion for murder told him, quite terrifyingly, that Zhao hadn't changed one bit.

"You've involved Qin in this?" asked Shinu. "I haven't seen him lately."

Zhao nodded. "_I went to him first. He was the first to know my return, and frankly, he handled the shock a lot better than you._"

"Where is he now?"

"_I was able to intercept a messenger hawk that was headed for Zuko, telling him that he should attend an assembly in Ba Sing Se. I assigned Qin to attend and kept Zuko out of it. Qin will find a way to get to the North Pole so he can act on my plans. Qin also went with some Earthbending agents to Ba Sing Se to acquire a man he suggested to handle the job of overrunning the Earth Kingdom capital._"

"And what about that drowned Fire Sage," spoke General Shinu. "I bet you had a hand on that murder."

Zhao smiled and lifted both his hands. "_I had two hands on that murder, General. His neck was quite big for me. You see, he had information about some scrolls I was recently looking for. These scrolls contain secret information about the genocide of the Air Nomads._"

General Shinu leaned forward. "And what did you find?"

Zhao had an even wider smile on his face. "_I found something rather interesting…_"

.

o0o

.

The two continued on discussing, setting dates and plotting out actions in the course of a week. A week was all it took for Zhao to have complete power. But a week was also an unimaginable amount of time to do exactly what Zhao was plotting. There were simply too many pieces to fit together and they had to be fine tuned to the right amount of time. Error was not an option.

"This is just impossible, Zhao," Shinu said plainly. "The world is just back in order and everyone has come to accept that. What you're suggesting is breaking the balance. And your method is too swift, too surreal. It will also be specifically harder to break this balance now that the Avatar has mastered all the four elements."

Zhao raised a finger. "_That's where you have it all wrong, General. You see, peace is something too tightly wound, too strained. There are a lot of things involved just to maintain peace. Meanwhile, chaos is easily attainable—it is the natural way of the universe. Chaos keeps coming back and forth to remind everyone to live in fear. It's my turn to remind them._"

Shinu was skeptical. "It took a comet to start the war that lasted as long as a hundred years. But you think that a mere show of force could break the state of the world. That's very difficult—impossible!"

"_Not impossible_," said Zhao. "_You just need a brilliant plan to do the job. And that's what I have. I have a brilliant plan._"

Shinu crossed his arms and snorted through his nose. "Ozai had a brilliant plan. Look what happened to him now. He rots in prison, Zhao. He's in prison. I bet that's my fate when I join this plan of yours."

Zhao laughed. "_Ozai's plan was too simple! There was only fire! So he burned everything to the ground, so what? He wasn't even fully prepared to face the Avatar! His plan is nothing like mine!_"

Shinu raised a brow. "Ozai didn't come up with that plan. You should know that the one who came up with that plan is the same person you're going to use as leverage against the Avatar…"

Zhao smiled and tapped his index finger on the table. "_Ah! Now that is something to ponder on. When a man thinks of burning the world to the ground, he is branded a tyrant, an evil dictator, a bad man. But the problem is that Ozai could only be a man. That is one of the reasons he failed against the Avatar._

"_But when a child—even more, a girl—thinks of burning the whole world to the ground, that is something else… That is something unimaginable._

"_That is our chance of victory against someone the likes of the Avatar. Because when we go against a person with the power of the whole world on his shoulders, we have to face him with someone who is above the world, someone who can crush it. Someone unimaginable_"

.

o0o

.

Shinu shook his head. "There will be others who will help him. The Avatar has friends from all over the world. He is never alone."

"_That's why it's so important that we take the rest of the world out of the equation. We have to imprison everyone in the walls of Ba Sing Se. We have to stop the people from the Water Tribes, and we have to ambush Zuko in his sleep._"

"And then we take out the Avatar?"

"_Yes. That is why you are an important asset in this scheme. Zuko may think that he has complete control over the nation, but you still have power General Shinu. The Imperial Firebenders do as you command them without asking questions. And I believe you still have the Yu Yan archers at your disposal._"

"Yes."

"_Very good. They're needed in Ba Sing Se. But only if you will join me, General. I need your decision now. What do you say, Shinu? Will you join me in my conquest?_"

Shinu looked at his tea and paused for a moment. He already had the proper response in mind. But instead, he answered this way:

"Yes. I will."

.

.

**Earth Kingdom forest, facing the Western seaboard**

Aang sat high on a cliff, swinging his legs. Below him, the spray of the sea was wetting his feet. It had rained earlier today and puddles of water had formed all over the ground. The wind was good. A nice gentle sea breeze blew into his face, making his hair move with the wind.

But Aang didn't have hair. It was fur.

Momo was sitting on his head, sleeping.

Behind him was Appa. The big, furry Sky-bison was resting on a large puddle of rainwater, groaning and munching through forest food. It was a nice enough setting with the sunset in the distance. The storm clouds were rolling away, cleaning the skies and turning them orange.

But despite all this, Aang was still troubled.

He had come to this place, days before, to meditate. He called upon Roku in particular, summoning him from the Avatar Collective. Roku was more than happy to see him. But it wasn't just Roku that appeared. Avatar Kyoshi, Avatar Kuruk, and Avatar Yangchen were there too. The four of them surrounded Aang in a circle.

Roku was the first to speak.

"_You have proven me wrong, Aang… You must not only be decisive, but you must also choose with the heart… You have truly redeemed me and all my past mistakes… I couldn't be more proud of you. Because of you, you have brought the universe back into balance… You have brought peace back into the world…_"

Aang smiled. "_Well, you helped me a lot…_"

"_There are strange cases where justice is more than enough to bring peace,_" spoke Kyoshi. "_You have proven that to me when you faced your destiny. And in turn, I conclude that you have given others another option for justice. Your wisdom is truly great, Avatar Aang…_"

Aang rubbed the back of his neck. "_It was nothing…really…_"

"_You have taught me a lot, Airbender,_" Kuruk said. "_I have been driven far too long to kill and to seek revenge on Koh, the face-stealer. You have opened my eyes and given me peace of mind. I cannot stop searching for him, but when I face him, I will not be consumed by revenge. I have learned from you…_"

Aang was embarrassed. "_Oh… Yes… That's very good…_"

Behind him, Avatar Yangchen was the proudest of all.

"_I can see that there is nothing I can teach you now… But you must take note, Aang, that the Avatar's duty is still to the world and you can never fully detach yourself from it._" But she smiled. "_But you are almost there, Avatar Aang…_"

Roku nodded. "_Wise, brave, pure, Avatar Aang…_"

And then, a strong gale-force wind shot down at Aang from above. It spread throughout the ground and at all sides. As the wind passed the ground, more Avatars began to appear. All their eyes glowed and they appeared with a wisp. They surrounded Aang and they extended as far as the eye can see.

.

o0o

.

And they began declaring as one.

**"_FOR A HUNDRED YEARS, THE WORLD HAS BEEN RAVAGED BY WAR AND DEATH… FOR A HUNDRED YEARS, AN AVATAR LAY FROZEN IN THE ICE, WAITING TO SET IT FREE… EVEN WHEN THE WORLD WAS LOST IN DARKNESS AND FEAR, AN AVATAR SHOWED MERCY TO THE ENEMY… FOR A HUNDRED YEARS, THE WORLD WAS AT WAR… A HUNDRED YEARS LATER, THE WORLD WAS SET FREE…_"**

.

o0o

.

A rush of wind coalesced together and all the other Avatars started to disappear. Aang shut his eyes as the wind came upon him, swirling around with the energies of other Avatars. The noise was loud and gust was everywhere.

When it had finally stopped, Aang was able to open his eyes.

Roku was still there, smiling at him.

"_You called for me?_"

.

o0o

.

Aang was too stunned to speak for a moment.

Roku spoke again. "_Was there something you wanted to ask me?_"

Aang shook his head ridiculously. He breathed hard, trying to make sense of what had just happened. "_Roku…I called you earlier to ask for…something…_"

"_Something a little broader and specific would be nice…_"

"_There are rumors, Roku—rumors of Airbenders… But I thought I was the only one… Is it possible that other Airbenders survived…?_"

Roku shook his head. "_I'm afraid I don't know, Aang… I did not live long enough to know what Sozin did to the Air Nomads. But I believe that you are the last… Don't look so down… I could be wrong… After all, you proved me wrong…_"

Aang nodded. "_Is there any other way I can know?_"

Roku nodded. "_I believe Fire Lord Sozin kept war journals. You can ask my great-grandson for them…_"

Aang shrugged. "_I think I'll just ask Zuko for them, instead. He's the Fire Lord and I think he can influence anybody to get it for me._"

Roku smiled. "_That's exactly whom I meant…_"

Aang's eyes shot wide as he tried to listen to Roku's words once again. "_Zuko is—YOUR GREAT-GRANDSON?_" And then, with more realization, Aang shouted: "_WHAT DOES THAT MAKE ME?_"

That was why Aang sent a letter to Zuko the other day. The day after that, Zuko sent a messenger hawk back telling Aang that the journals were all gone—vanished. He contacted Roku once more, asking him what that meant.

"_It means, Aang…that something else has gone wrong… You should know that there is disturbing news going throughout the Spirit World… It may not concern you as of the moment, but it is disturbing news to us. Somehow, someway, a spirit has transferred back to your plane of existence. It has had devastating effects in the Spirit World and I am trying to pinpoint the problem. So stay on guard, Aang. No peace comes fully intact…_"

And Roku disappeared.

And that was when it started to rain.

.

o0o

.

Aang was still thinking of those events. That was his problem. In actuality, Aang would have been more prepared for the events to come had he not gone lost in his train of thought. But he did. And that was his problem. Because when Aang finally decided to put Momo on the ground, he realized the immediate danger he was in.

Aang was surrounded.

The young Airbender leaped into the air, spinning as he went. He landed with two feet on the ground, arms extended outwards. A lot of "somethings" had surrounded him, hiding in the trees. But Aang had extra-sensory vision with the help of Earthbending.

Bandits. Five of them, all hiding in the tree branches.

And they had started their attack.

Aang moved his palms down, evaporating the puddles of rainwater into steam. The mist instantly covered the cliff-side. The attacking bandits' shrieks continued into the mist.

One of the bandits had been left in the trees. He held three blades and threw them into the mist.

Aang had sensed them coming. He drove both his elbows downward. The motion forced three large rocks to shoot up from the ground, blocking the blades from hitting him.

"AAAA!!" shouted another bandit, blindly swinging his two hammers inside the mist, not caring who he hit.

Though the bandit had no idea where he was going, Aang was directly in his range. He jumped back and shot his right palm forward. The mist condensed back into water and was heading straight for the hammer-carrying bandit.

The bandit lifted both his hammers high into the air, charging like the beast that he was.

Aang froze him from his feet to his elbows.

The bandit was shocked by the cold. His hands were still raised up, holding the heavy hammers. So, the hammers fell on his head.

Bang.

Another bandit had a sword ready for Aang. He sliced and thrashed, making the distance between the blade and Aang's face a blur.

_I need more space to move…_

Aang doubled back, and did a double-knife-hand-middle-block. He thrust his right fist forward, sending a burst of flame on the bandit's feet.

For a moment, the bandit didn't realize that his feet were being cooked. Then, he smelled roast beef. And then, "_My feet are burning!_"

Aang splashed some water onto the man's feet and froze him in place.

There were still three more bandits.

The one from the trees had jumped down and continued his attack. The other two had daggers and where also wheeling towards him. Aang jumped into the air to evade the shots.

The dagger men and the knife thrower stopped in their tracks when they realized their quarry had flown ten feet in the air. From this high up, Aang could see that they were right by the cliff-side. Aang sliced the ground with his right hand and sent that portion of the ground falling. The three bandits started to shout.

Aang landed back on the ground and kept both his fists up, straining to hold the three men up with Earthbending.

"Who _sent_ you?" Aang shouted.

"N-No one sent us," stammered one of the dagger men.

Aang lowered his fists slightly. The rock ledge lowered too. The three men began to hug each other and panic.

"_Who_ sent you?"

"No one! We just wanted to claim our bounty, I swear!"

Aang launched them back up. The three men flew into the air. Aang caught them with Airbending and set them down slowly. "What bounty?"

"There was a huge sum of money for anyone that could capture the Avatar," said the knife-bandit. "We just wanted the money… Our family is in bad need of money and food…"

"Who posted these bounties?" Aang asked angrily.

"The daughter of the man whom you killed."

Aang remembered her. He remembered how she sounded so pitiful and depressed. He remembered her during the mourning of her father. But he was there for her! How could she accuse him of such things? How could she!

"I killed _no one_!"

Aang sent a blast of air towards these men, hoping to knock them down. But Appa stepped into the way, gritting his large teeth and taking all the air Aang had sent towards them. The animal stared straight into Aang's eyes, into the Airbender's heart. Aang was furious.

"You're going to defend _them_? They said I killed the old man! They accused _me_!"

Aang stepped forward, but stopped when Momo landed on Appa's head.

Aang burned inside. _He had been accused of murder!_ And he felt so bad that it was as if he actually committed the murder himself. He felt guilty for no reason. It hurt so bad that all the water around him began to turn into steam. The grass on his feet was beginning to ash. Tears streamed down Aang's face. "_But I didn't do it, Appa… I didn't do it…_"

Appa stepped forward and rested Aang's head on his fur. Aang shed his tears on his head. Momo flew and landed on Aang's shoulder, nuzzling his cheek. All of his emotions began to melt.

"_I didn't do it… You have to believe me…_" he cried. "_You have to believe me…_"

.

o0o

.

The first dagger bandit turned to the second. "Do you think we should get him now?"

The second dagger bandit nodded and licked his lips. "Yes. Let's do it while he's distracted."

And then, the Sky-bison's large tail flapped down and a scalding wave of wind thrust them back into the trees.

.

.

**Fire Nation, Adjacent dormant volcano, Prison tower**

"Zuko decided to leave her here instead of moving her to the Boiling Rock. After all, they were family. Oh…what will you do to the guards now that they saw you?"

Zhao shrugged. "_Do you think they'll believe what they see?_"

General Shinu nodded. "I guess not."

The two walked down the red-lit hallways of the prison. It was a horrible rustic setting with the worst ambience anyone could ever imagine. Zhao swore he saw rats. It was so red that Shinu hated it. "Do you want to stop by Ozai's cell before heading down to the other one?"

Zhao shook his head. "_Ozai has lost his Firebending. What use is he to me?_"

"I understand," said Shinu. "But _you_ have to understand this. There have been problems with…_her_. The guards already knew that she had gone mad. They bound her hands and legs in chains. But those that tried to feed her…well…that girl's mouth was pretty full already… They had to put a metal muzzle on her mouth, but if she keeps refusing to eat, she could die of starvation."

Zhao chuckled. "_So strong, that girl. I can barely remember her when I was alive… I remember seeing her when Ozai challenged Zuko to the Agni Kai. But that was a long time ago._"

General Shinu stopped in front of the cell door. "A lot of things have changed Zhao. Luckily, you're dead so she can't hurt you."

Zhao entered through the cell door and found himself in a world of shadow. Someone was definitely here. He could hear the raspy inhales and exhales of another person. Zhao bent low and moved the messy hair from her face. Her eyes stared right through him—through his soul.

"_Azula…_"

The girl was dead. Her face was so pale that Zhao thought _she_ was the ghost. Zhao touched the skin on her forehead. It was cold and clammy. Her hair was nothing but a brittle rag. The muzzle on her mouth was dripping with saliva—saliva that evaporated when it fell to the ground.

Azula was wearing red ragged prison clothes. Her hands were bound in chains and suspended in the air. She was kneeling on the floor, her feet in cuffs. Zhao could hear the steady rasps of her breath. He could hear every hiss of saliva…

Zhao kneeled on the floor and pushed the hair away from her ear, exposing it. He whispered: "_Azula…_"

"_Azula…_"

Nothing.

And then Zhao felt warm air on his face. He could hear her breathing become louder and faster. Too fast—malevolently fast. She was breathing like a wild animal, fierce and monstrous.

Zhao stood up thinking he had done the trick, when—

"_**HRAA! AAAIIIEEEEE! VRAAAAAA!!**_"

Every ferocious scream was accompanied by a large jet of blue flame that passed through the air holes in her muzzle.

"_AZULA! STOP THIS!_" Zhao retaliated.

"She won't listen, Zhao!" General Shinu shouted from behind him, shielding his eyes from the fire.

Zhao was taking the blunt of the fire. His body was fully engulfed in flames, but it barely registered. He just looked angry.

"_**RAH!! RAH!! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!**_"

In one fluid motion, Zhao grabbed Azula's neck and slammed her to the wall.

"AZULA!"

Azula stopped screaming. The sickening sound of the girl's back hitting the wall was enough for Shinu's stomach to heave. Azula groaned, not in pain, but in exhaustion. Her breathing was raspy again and Shinu swore he could hear her heart beating.

Azula said one word: "_Zuko…_"

Tears filled her eyes.

Zhao released her neck and Azula fell to the ground like a dropped puppet. Zhao kneeled in front of her once more and pulled her chin up so they were face to face. "_Are you ready for revenge, Azula?_"

"_Yes…_" Her eyes pleaded with him. "_Yes…_"

Zhao curved his lip. "_Very good… I will tell you what you have to do… But first, I need to give you something…_"

Zhao rested her head on the wall. He placed his left-hand fingers on her forehead. With his other hand, he placed his right-hand fingers on her neckline. Zhao released his breath and concentrated.

From outside, Shinu saw green. After that, he saw red—dark red.

And then, shadow.

It was then that Shinu realized that Zhao would succeed.

.

.

.

_Things are coming together now. Sorry for posting this a day __late. I had to make revisions on the last chapter. The following chapters might take a lot longer to write since they are longer—but interesting. I'm also in the business of making minor characters really bad-ass. If anyone has any thoughts, it would be nice if you commented._

_If anyone asks about Zhao's "ghostliness", then don't. I have no specific idea of how Zhao could be alive for the moment. I don't know how he can touch or feel things, but not get burned. Truthfully, I'm basing it on a kind of "half-ghost-Danny-Phantom" kind of thing._

_Any insights or ideas to add to the story would be nice. Avatar is a world that's also made by fans and friends and I'm just patching up ideas that I decided would look good for another book. I'm also listening to the finale over and over again as I type, so I can get a gist of a plausible continuation. I'm stripping down plots and themes of past avatar episodes to see if I can find a sort of foundation for these stories._

_Reviews. Flames. Comments. Suggestions. Violent Reactions. Thank you for reading so far._

_A fanfic is only as good as its reviews._

_Things will pace up—I promise._


	6. Chapter 6: Misconceptions

Author's Note: I was able to scrap a dozen few ideas together to make this story

_Author's Note: I was able to scrap a dozen few ideas together to make this story. I doubt it will stand to scrutiny and most of the details could be easily dismissed by a number of fans. But this (and many others) is a tribute to Avatar, the Last Airbender. This story is a continuation on my own terms and what I believe could happen. Thank you for reading so far and I'll keep typing. This is for you, Avatar! I hope to see other similar works in the near future._

_Disclaimer: I own no part of Avatar, the Last Airbender. But this story and this plot is entirely of my own creation. Any similarities to the official Avatar plotline are mere coincidences or are used for necessary events in the story. The same goes with the characters and settings._

Book 4

_Air_

Chapter six:

Misconceptions

**.**

**.**

**Earth Kingdom Village, 10 yards away, 20 feet up**

Aang was watching the lines of troops coming and going all the way to the western coast of the Earth Kingdom. Some of the troops glanced up to see a large shadow block the sun for a moment and then disappear above the trees. The Avatar, they knew. It made a lot feel better knowing that the Avatar was watching them. It made the rest feel uncomfortable. Here was a boy, presented with all the power in the world and had every reason to use it for his own enjoyment, like getting back on bad friends, and the sort. What would happen if Aang would use his powers wrongly? What if he already was?

Aang could see their frightened faces from above. _They're overreacting… Only one man died and the whole thing could merely be considered as coincidence. It could have absolutely nothing to do with Airbenders…_

And then Aang's stomach began to rumble.

Aang happily smiled at Momo. "We should eat first, shouldn't we?"

Appa heard that and roared. A loud rumble came from his stomach

Aang smiled. "I'll take that as a yes."

.

o0o

.

Aang landed Appa beside a small Earth Kingdom tavern. He patted the bison one last time before sliding off his large head. Momo followed him down. "Both of you stay here while I get some food to eat. I'll see if they have some cabbages for you two."

Appa opened his mouth and slowly lowered its tongue.

Aang laughed. "You're right. I'll need more than just cabbages. Wait here, until I come back."

Aang turned around and found himself staring at a boy with curious bright eyes. He was a lot shorter than Aang and he seemed to have his hair properly combed to the back of his head. There was this wide smile on his face that extended all the way to his eyes. He held his hands behind his back and leaned forward on tiptoes.

"Hel-lo!" he said cheerfully.

Aang smiled. "Hello."

The little boy looked up and down Aang. "Nice blue arrows."

Aang shrugged happily, feeling his sense of popularity rise. "They're real, you know?"

The boy smiled with recognition. "Mine too! Want to see?"

Aang smiled widely, treasuring the moment. "Sure."

The boy pointed to his chin where a dark brown arrow was pointing up to his lower lip. It could have been easily mistaken for brown birthmark—except for the clear smears of paint that had dried itself on the boy's skin. The arrow painting had been badly made, as if someone had tried to mark his face by using a mirror. Not only that, but the arrow extended down the boy's neck and stopped just above his neckline.

"I have to keep putting paint every after my mom gives me baths," said the boy. "She keeps rubbing them off. Luckily I only have to take a bath once a day."

Aang finally understood where that rancid smell was coming from.

The Airbender chuckled. "You do know that the arrow is supposed to be on your head, right?"

The boy raised a questioning brow. "How would you know? You're not the Avatar."

Now it was Aang's turn to raise a questioning glance. Obviously, the boy wasn't familiar with his Avatars. Aang's pride faltered. For a moment, he was irritated, but then, Aang pushed a forced smile on his face. "Oh, but I am the Avatar…"

The boy looked at Aang, and when he realized that the taller bald boy was serious, he laughed in disbelief. "_That_ was _so_ funny! You're not the Avatar!"

Aang felt a vein in his forehead pulse. "Oh yeah? Then who is?"

The boy held his chest high and placed his fists on his hips, looking proud and strong. "_I am! _I've mastered all the four elements and I kicked Fire Nation butt!"

Aang was about to protest, already raising a finger and mouth open—ready to speak. But then, the boy tilted his body to the side and looked past Aang. He caught sight of Appa and squealed.

"_Aaaiiiiiieeeee!!_"

The boy ran up to Appa and gave the furry bison a hug. He just stayed on his head, feeling the creature's fur with his cheek. His face was dreamy, savoring the moment.

Appa recognized such affection and used its large tongue to lick him on the back.

"_Ai!_" cried the boy in laughter. "Stop it! That tickles!"

Aang's irritation was lost at the sight. He felt childish worrying about children not knowing who he was. Such matters shouldn't hinder the stand of the Avatar. Fame wasn't something he should trouble himself with.

"_Khai! Get back here!_"

Aang turned to the voice and saw a tall woman standing behind him, calling for the boy. She had a hard-looking face and a white piece of cloth covered her hair. When her eyes came upon Aang, he realized that there was fear there. Fear _because _of him. Word of the killing Airbender spread faster than Aang could stop it. There was no room for him to explain.

And that was a problem in itself. For Aang was still too young for anyone to believe him to be a "fully-fledged" Avatar. He was still 12, for crying out loud. People would fear him, underestimate him, and lose trust in him. And if the world did not have full confidence on an Avatar, then that was a dire development indeed.

"But mom! Look!" spoke the child. "It's a—"

"Don't disturb him, Khai… Follow your mother this once and get in the tavern," spoke the mother firmly.

The child held his hands out in defense. "Okay… Okay…"

When the boy held his hands up, Aang saw blunt brass knuckles on the boy's hands. Aang realized that this was one of life's many surprises. The brass knuckles were slightly damaged. It was an odd accessory for a child.

The woman grabbed the child by the ear and pulled him into the tavern. The boy's cries and protests were lost inside the building.

Silence. A brief pause.

Aang turned to Appa. "Why are we here again?"

Momo landed on his head with a small nut. The little creature used it to hit Aang on the head.

"Ow! Hey! What did you do that—"And then, there was a flash of memory. "I remember now!" He started running into the tavern, his stomach rumbling. "Thanks Momo!"

.

o0o

.

Aang made a rush for the nearest chair. As soon as he sat down, he realized that in his rush, he had not seen the many stares that focused on him the moment he scooted into the tavern. And yes, these people were also afraid of him.

"Would you like to order something?"

Aang turned around and realized that the waitress who was asking him was actually the mother of the boy whom he had conversed with earlier. "Oh… Hello again…"

"Is there something you want?"

Aang realized that being polite or kind would get him nowhere. "What do you people serve?"

The woman sighed for a moment. "We serve edible things."

Aang was getting irritated. He was hungry and he had no time for this conversation. Aang decided that the moment this woman would say something worth eating, he'd choose it. "Anything a little more general?"

"Yes. Food."

Aang was losing his patience. All he wanted was one order of food—vegetables, of course. All he needed now was this woman to give him a food order. Just one order…

"Can you be a little bit more specific?"

"Rats."

"_I'll take it—!_"

The woman wasn't looking at him. "Rats. Rats. Rats. Rats. Rats! Khai! Get away from those men!"

Aang turned around. There was some sort of scuffle going on. Three men were surrounding a person in red uniform—Fire Nation war armor. The man was sweating continuously, staring at the sharp tips of the knives the men were holding. They had pinned him to the wall.

"Look boys," spoke the lead knife-man. "Fire Nation scum at our doors. You don't look so strong now without your little army, huh?"

"Please…!" the man pleaded. "I just came from the troop line and the rest of my things are there… but I have money! Just take it! Take it!"

"Do you think we want your money?" said the second knife-man—actually a woman. "You killed my husband and the rest of my family! You don't deserve to live!"

"_Please_!" the man cowered as he crumpled to the floor, clutching his head and shaking. "We were just following orders! I was just doing what my superiors told me to do!"

"Do you think we care what _you_ think?" said the third knife-man poking his knife onto the man's eyebrow. "Your people severed my left arm! Look at it! _Look at it!_ You're going to die, Fire Nation soldier!"

"_Let him go!_"

Aang fully expected those three words to come out of his mouth. But that was not true. It came from the mouth of the boy with the arrow on his chin. The mother was devastated. "Khai! Leave those men alone!"

The boy wasn't listening. "Leave him alone!"

The lead knife-man shrugs the kid off. "You don't want to get involved in this, kid. You're too young to understand."

The boy stomped his feet. "I know I'm old enough to understand that you're about to hurt this man! I won't allow you to do that!"

"Khai! Stay back!"

The third knife-man laughed. "Don't be foolish boy! Who do you think you are?"

The boy smiled smugly, crossing his arms. "I'm the Avatar—master of all the four elements."

The knife-woman smiled. "Is that so?"

"Yeah! And I'm warning you! If you don't stop what you're doing now, I might have to hurt you!"

The lead knife-man laughed boisterously. He turned to the knife-woman. "Get him before we have to do the _necessary_ things."

The Fire Nation soldier shook, sobbing and hissing with every gasp of breath.

The woman smiled kneeled in front of the boy. "Come here, little boy. I have to close your eyes…

As the woman was about to grab the boy with both arms, the boy surprised her—and everybody else—by jumping up, landing on her head, and jumped higher still—driving her head to the floorboards. He landed with both feet on the ground.

"Khai! Stop this and leave them alone!" the mother continued.

"Take care of him!" the lead knife-man said to the other.

At this point, Aang decided to cut-in and stop anyone from getting hurt. But the boy surprised all of them again when the right-armed knife-man began to attack him. The man kept thrusting the sharp weapon at him, mollifying the boy's mother. But with every thrust, the boy was able to evade them. He jumped on a table, missing a fierce swipe from the knife-man.

So he tried another thrust again.

The boy jumped sideways into the air, performing a cartwheel over the man's head. He missed the sharp edge by a few seconds and landed on the table behind the man.

"Stay still, insect!" ordered the right-armed knife-man.

Another thrust and the boy jumped back to the ground. The knife-man would not quit. He continued trying to strike him, but the boy had done another trick. He positioned himself behind the man.

"Get in front and face me!"

The knife-man turned to the side, trying to reach him for a stab. But no matter how many times he turned, the boy was always behind him, hands forward.

It was only then that Aang realized what he was seeing.

This boy was doing the same techniques and hand positions done in Airbending. It was exactly the same—minus one crucial factor: there was no Airbending involved. The boy was just avoiding and evading. The boy was an Airbender without the elemental attack.

That was what Aang suspected until he did something different.

"Aha!" shouted the man. "You've come to face me after all—OOF!"

The knife-man did get face-to-face with the boy, but only because he allowed it. After moving behind the man, the boy stopped and planted his feet firmly on the ground, evening his stance and placing his fists at the ready. When the knife-man finally faced him, he sent a powerful punch right into the man's gut—the brass knuckles on the boy's hand made it even worse.

After that, it was a bone-shattering kick—very linear in accordance to the rest of his body. His foot hit the man under his jaw, making a "click" sound.

Now, Aang was seeing Earthbending without the bending—just the technique.

The lead knife-man watched his crony fall flat on the ground. He turned to the knife-woman. "Get him!" he barked.

The woman shook her head in fear. "I'm not getting involved in this anymore!" And she ran out the tavern.

"Coward!" the man spoke. He turned to the Fire Nation soldier. "I'll get back to you in a minute."

"Leave him alone!" shouted the boy.

"Leave _them_ alone!" shouted the mother.

The lead knife-man turned to the boy and had this sneer on his face. He played with the knife a bit, transferring his knife from one hand to the other. "I can kill you, little boy, you know that?"

The boy flicked his nose with his thumb. "Not today, _old man_."

"Old Man! That's it!" And the knife-man charged forward, doing successive stabbing motions to try and confuse the blade in the air. But the boy was not confused. There was only one direction this man was going and it was towards him. The knife-man continued blindingly attacking. Aang could tell that he was already defeated.

The boy fluidly moved to the side, in between the man's leg.

All he had to do to win was let the man continue moving forward—letting his blind rage be his downfall. The man had not seen the boy move to the side. He made another strike for the boy, thinking he had aimed for the heart.

The boy allowed the man's strike to miss, allowing him to grab his knife and flip the man down to the floor by using his own momentum and speed—turning his opponent's strength against him. Waterbending without the element.

The boy had the knife aimed at the man's head. "Will you yield?"

The man laughed. "Are you kidding? Do you think I'll surrender to a child?"

And with that said, the man spun on the floor, knocking the knife out of the child's hands with his feet. With his hands, he was up again, ready to fight. The boy was up on his feet too, placing himself in a fighting stance.

"_Arrgghhh!!_" was the battle cry of the man.

The battle cry was short lived as the child spun and snapped his feet on the man's face. He doubled back, stunned by sheer pain and confusion. But the boy gave him no respite, continuing with a series of blistering punches and ferocious kicks. He wounded him heavily with the brass knuckles on his hands. The man landed flat on the ground with nothing but a painful moan.

Firebending with the exception of fire.

The boy was about to land a finishing move when his mother shouted again. "Leave the man alone, Khai! You've punished him enough already!"

And so, the boy stopped.

.

.

**Earth Kingdom, Forest facing the western sea (Wulong Forest)**

The autumn wind had chilled the trees bare. The trees were just foliage now and the green ground was now littered with orange leaves. These leaves were being stepped on by two men. Zhao and Shinu were climbing up a small hill. Zhao had a scroll in his hand.

"_We're almost there now, Shinu… Why so worried?_"

Shinu sighed heavily. "It's Zuko. He gave me a hard time just so I could borrow the airship to go here. What if he suspects?"

It was true. Zhao had seen Zuko harass the general for the airship. If General Shinu wasn't so good with words, they would have still been in the Fire Nation on a navy ship, still getting the papers processed.

"_Worry no longer, Shinu… Our victory is almost at hand. We have a little accessory to pick up first. This thing we're picking up isn't exactly necessary to our plans, but it may come in handy._"

General Shinu shook his head. "If you told me earlier that this thing wasn't necessary, then I wouldn't have gone with you, Zhao."

Zhao laughed. "_Well, I believe you of all people would be interested in what I found._"

General Shinu shrugged. "Where are you taking me, Zhao? What did Sozin's war journals say?"

Zhao nodded. "_As a spirit, I was able to venture the earth. I discovered many things, but one thing I found was a large cave somewhere here in this forest. It was difficult to find as a human. The cave's entrance was vertical and the path was tricked by a number of other paths. In fact, it was so clearly insignificant that none of the Fire Lords were able to find it._"

Shinu was curious. "What is it?"

"_To understand what I'm about to tell you,_" spoke Zhao, "_You have to understand what was written on this scroll._"

"And what was written on it?"

"_Though the genocide of the Air Nomads had been clear and every soldier's intention was to murder, there were a number of Air Nomads that had been captured for interrogation._"

General Shinu looked at Zhao. "Interrogations for what?"

Zhao held General Shinu firm on the shoulder. "_What else? Why do you think they had to kill all the Air Nomads in the first place? They were searching for the Avatar, Shinu. Sozin wanted to kill the Avatar and stop the cycle. But he could never be found. No one could find him. So they interrogated Air Nomads, asking them where the Avatar was._"

General Shinu understood this. "Does this mean that they did find the Avatar?"

"_No. The Avatar was never found at the time. But there is one interrogation that did strike Sozin the most. During the destruction of the Southern Air Temple, they were able to capture and interrogate one of the Air Council of Elders. Monk Pasang is his name. He would not reveal anything at first, stating that he'd rather die than reveal his secret. Of course, they did promise him he'd live if he told them the truth. He would not agree. But as time passed, they were able to break him and he told them something interesting…_"

When Zhao stopped, General Shinu asked, "What did this monk reveal?"

"_This monk revealed a fifth air temple sanctuary. Not an air temple, mind you—but a temple sanctuary._" said Zhao.

"Did they find it?"

Zhao laughed. "_Of course not! Monk Pasang was trying to let Sozin run around in circles, searching for a fifth air sanctuary that never existed. In the end, Monk Pasang was killed brutally._"

"So, what are we trying to _do_?" asked Shinu, losing his patience.

"_Well, I found it…_"

.

o0o

.

It easily became clear why Sozin or any other Fire Nation official would never find anything here. The tall columns of earth were everywhere and they were misleading. These unique natural structures coupled with the fog that was always there could hide anything. You can miss a tree while walking through this fog. Firebending did little to clear the path. In fact, it worsened it by blurring the surroundings. And beside these things, the place was treacherous.

"_As a spirit_," said Zhao, "_I was able to roam and wander the face of the earth, seeking for hidden things. Of course, there were limitations to my journeys. I could not go through doors if I didn't know what was on the other side. But despite this limitation, I found it here—undisturbed and undiscovered throughout the century. I was very shocked to see that opening, Shinu. Do you know what an air sanctuary door looks like?_"

General Shinu nodded. He had been to the Western Air Temple a couple of times. "A huge, thick wooden door with huge locks that can only be accessed by an Airbender…which was going to be my next question. How are we getting inside? Is this why I'm carrying this sack of blasting jelly on my back?"

"_Yes._"

In this thick fog, Shinu realized that he would have gotten lost immediately had Zhao not pulled him along, telling him never to stray behind or he could be lost forever. "Lost forever" was something Shinu would never ever want to experience in his life. Imagine having to wander around this fog until death. The thought was discomforting.

"_We're here._"

Shinu looked around. There was nothing to see but fog. "I don't see anything, Zhao."

Zhao pointed to a large mound on the ground, covered in dense shrubbery. This looked like a huge plant—something an army of soldiers could have easily missed or walked over. "_Help me in removing these vines, General._"

Shinu dropped the bag of blasting jelly and started pulling away loose wines and plants. It had taken some time before the green could be stripped away. A century of plant growth had covered the earthen mound. These plants survived here despite the lack of sunlight. It was an odd circumstance.

After a few minutes of pulling, Shinu became restless and began Firebending. The green turned to brown and then ash. The smell of burning plants was evident.

And then, Shinu saw it.

There was a huge wooden door that lay flat on the ground. It was indeed an air sanctuary door. He could tell by the three large snail shapes that mimicked the air symbol. Two trumpets connected with these shapes allowed an Airbender entrance. There was only one slight problem.

The door was already open.

More than that. It was halfway to broken, bending outside. Something had smashed through it.

"Looks like we won't have to use the blasting jelly after all," Shinu commented, sounding pleased.

But Zhao was stunned, shocked beyond death. "_This door isn't supposed to be broken. How can this be? This door was never broken when I came here…_"

"When _did_ you come here?"

"_I came here a few days after my death._"

General Shinu stared at the broken opening. "That was a long time ago. That means that whatever was in there must have gone out and possibly wrecked havoc. But there was no news, Zhao. The only Airbender was the Avatar. If there was an Airbender in here, which is what I'm assuming is in here, it should have caused some news."

Zhao looked down into the hole. "_There's only one way we can know for sure. Are you ready to get down there?_"

.

o0o

.

The tunnel was vertical all the way down, just as Zhao had speculated. There was a ladder created on the wall, but it was easier to use the rope Shinu had brought. As they descended down the sheer vertical surface, Shinu was able to catch sight of more vines clinging to the near-smooth walls. It was nightmarishly dark here even when Shinu's flame was at its strongest. And for a few minutes, the vertical tunnel kept going down. In the middle of all of this, Shinu smelled rotting meat below him.

It did, until Shinu's feet touched the surface of the ground.

Shinu turned around. There was a bright flash of green. Zhao was in front of him.

"Zhao! Don't scare me like that!"

Zhao chuckled. "_Loosen up, Shinu. You're so uptight these days._"

"I thought some sort of wild creature was attacking me! Who knows what's down here!"

"_We'll find out soon enough. See the vines? They're all dead. Somehow, this cave was exposed to sunlight before. We'll use them for light. Burn them, Shinu._"

Shinu followed as instructed. The flames continued downward, deeper into the cave. The interior suddenly became clear. The first thing that caught their attention was the bones. Not human bones. These bones were huge. One rib bone was larger than Shinu. The overwhelming smell of decay was coming from this huge corpse. A sudden sense of fear enveloped the war General.

"What is _that_, Zhao? What if there are more of _those _down here?"

Zhao stepped closer, inspecting the bones. He was clearly unaffected by the smell. "_Worry not, Shinu. These bones belong to a Sky Bison. Look. Huge bones, but hollow within. This was a flying creature._"

Shinu didn't seem encouraged by his words. He had seen Appa a couple of times, but that didn't mean the creature was tame. The general always believed that if Aang looked away, the Bison would make a charge for him. "Zhao! We have to get out of this place!"

Zhao smiled. "_Not yet, Shinu. I have a feeling that whatever was kept in here is still in here. Let's head down the shaft. There must be a large cavern up ahead._"

Shinu would rather have company than be surrounded by bones. He quickened his pace so he was beside Zhao. As they continued down the bowels of the cave, Shinu spotted more huge bones—some bigger than others. But they were all dead. In fact, the only living thing down here was the General himself—and that made him feel sick to the bone. He was the only one alive here.

So far.

.

o0o

.

Zhao was right. There was a huge cavern up ahead and the vines had already lit its interior. But instead of bones, this cavern was filled was statues. These were statues of other Avatars, all lined up in spiral formation. Some of these Avatars were extended to the upper walls of the cavern itself. In the roof were holes. These allowed air in the cavern. There was a small fountain of clean underground water on the other side of the cavern. General Shinu also noticed bundles of wheat on the side and scattered all over the ground. But they were consumed. The General approximated that there was enough of them here for a family to live for a year.

Air. Water. Food. Someone could be kept alive down here.

"_Look at this, Shinu…_" spoke Zhao. His voice was shaking. A ghost with a shaking voice was something that could rattle the nerves.

General Shinu moved beside Zhao, holding his breath. "What is it, Zhao?"

Zhao's ghostly finger pointed to something on the ground—seven _somethings_. They were human skeletons.

Shinu looked at their clothing. "They're not Airbenders. These are Earth Kingdom clothes. How did they enter this place?"

Zhao stepped away for a moment, looking around and coming to terms with his thoughts. "_The monk had been right…_"

"What are you talking about, Zhao?" spoke Shinu firmly.

"_This whole place…this sanctuary…it makes sense…_" Zhao pointed to the cavern walls, where there were dozens of brittle scrolls. "_During the interrogation of Monk Pasang, he had described to them this sanctuary. It had been built as a refuge to preserve the Avatar when the war was on the rise. These scrolls contain bending techniques so the Avatar could master all the elements when he finally emerged to save the world. The Avatar could hide here and wait it out until time came and it was finally safe to come out._

"_They had built this for the Avatar's safety. But there was one thing the council of Elders wasn't counting on. The Avatar ran away from home. This sanctuary was put to no use._"

Shinu shrugged. "So they built this place and they didn't use it. What's the point, then?"

"_Don't you see, Shinu? They never used this sanctuary at all. It had been abandoned when Sozin's comet had arrived. The Avatar had found refuge on his own. As for this cavern, it was never used. Nothing came from this place. There was nothing ever here. We came here on a fool's journey to find the lost remains of an air bunker that was never used. This is a dead end._"

Shinu sighed, pleased with the way things had turned out. "Well, since there's no use for this place, let's get out."

Zhao nodded quietly, still down that the discovery led to nothing at all.

But then, there was a strong tremor.

Shinu was shaking in his shoes. "What _is_ that?"

There was another tremor—a stronger one.

"_What_ is that?"

Zhao wasn't listening. He was staring at the vines that lit the cavern. "_Shinu…we made a grave mistake…_"

"What are you talking about?"

Zhao pointed to the burning vines. "_When you lit the vines, the fire spread down the cavern, right?_"

"Yes. Yes. What does this have to do with _anything_?" Shinu shouted.

"_Well, the vines came from the surface, from the entrance of the sanctuary. Since the vines burned down the cavern, it also burned up towards the entrance. We left something on the surface, remember._"

It was only then that Shinu realized what he was talking about.

"The blasting jelly."

.

o0o

.

General Shinu started to run. There were more shakes now. He was no longer hearing explosions. Instead, he was hearing the entire underground cavern moan. The blasting jelly had all been used. Now, the cavern was collapsing on its own. A hundred years of carving was coming down in rubble.

General Shinu reached the rope and started climbing up the tunnel. Zhao was just behind him.

"We have to move faster!"

But then, there was a flash of green.

When General Shinu turned around to look, he found that Zhao had disappeared. He was all alone now.

That was when the rope snapped.

.

o0o

.

General Shinu caught hold of the tunnel's carved ladder. If luck wasn't on his side, he would have fallen straight to the ground. The carved ladder had been poorly built. There wasn't enough space for both of his hands and the grip was poor. If some miracle wouldn't happen now, he would fall to his death or die trapped in this self-destructing cave.

"_Shinu! Grab hold of the rope!_"

It was Zhao, calling from above. He was dangling a second rope. Shinu grabbed onto it, clinging for dear life.

.

o0o

.

General Shinu scrambled to flat ground, lying on his back and breathing deeply. For a moment, the terrible things just faded away. Zhao was standing over him, laughing. Shinu had the courage to laugh along with him.

"For a second there, I thought you had left me behind."

Zhao laughed. "_I anticipated the rope to break. The explosion should have shredded it. That's why I went to the top. I had to get a second rope._"

General Shinu smiled. "Thank you, Zhao."

Zhao continued laughing. "_I couldn't leave you behind. How then would my plans work?_"

With that simple sentence, General Shinu went back to groaning and scowling.

.

.

**Earth Kingdom, Tavern**

Evening had settled over the entire village. The moon was low, not really complete. A cool autumn wind blessed Aang's face. The world was mimicking its present state. The Airbender could almost hear the wind whispering "Peace" into his ears. Behind him, Appa and Momo were sleeping dreamily, snoring the whole town awake. It was already late in the evening and most of the houses had dowsed their candles.

Aang moved stealthily behind the tavern, hearing grunts and the heavy tone of exhaustion. It was the sound of someone fighting. When Aang came around the bend, he saw the child who had surprised everyone inside the tavern. He was practicing in the back garden, performing maneuvers simultaneously, sequentially, and randomly. He jumped on rocks, fiercely jabbed his fists in a continuous assault, flowed his hands in dagger-like positions, and punched into a tree while maintaining a level head.

"Are you angry or something?" asked Aang, surprising the boy as he did so.

The boy was silent at first, diverting his eyes away from him. "My mom says I shouldn't talk or see you. She thinks you'll hurt me."

Aang shook his head. "I wouldn't hurt anyone. Why would I hurt anyone?"

"Because you're the Avatar."

That simple sentence was made to break Aang's fragile heart and it had come from a boy much younger than him, told by a woman much older than him. "I wouldn't hurt anybody. I help people. I stopped the Fire Lord from destroying your village."

The boy wasn't convinced. "My mom says you're dangerous. You can take the air out of me, she said."

Aang shook his head. "I don't even know how to do that. I've never even done that before… Besides…I bet I couldn't even hurt you… Not with _you're _kind of skills."

This made the boy smile. "You got that right. Did you see me? I made that one guy fall to the ground!"

Aang clapped his hands twice. "You did some pretty good moves. Where did you learn to fight like that?"

The boy shrugged. "I just did."

"Can you bend an element?"

The boy shook his head. "Nope. I'm a normal kid. Bending is too overrated. I fight hand-to-hand combat so I can get up close and see the reds of their eyes." And the boy followed his statement with a swish of his hand that nearly hit Aang's face.

"That's amazing."

The boy held out his hand. "I'm Khai, Mister Avatar, sir."

Aang shook it. "Aang."

And then, Aang felt vibrations.

Five men.

Armed to the teeth.

They were coming from the bushes of the garden. "We have to go. It's not safe here." Aang grabbed the boy's hand and pulled him away.

"Let me go!"

But then, the five men appeared, carrying torches. One of them was the lead knife-man that had been in the tavern earlier. "Come here, little brat! You will pay dearly for breaking my nose."

As Aang pulled the child, the boy couldn't resist but spout some witticism. "Are you _sure_ it wasn't broken in the first place?"

This had clearly enraged the man. "Kill him!"

Aang spun around, putting the boy behind him. He thrust his hand forward, blowing a strong wave of wind at the enemies. The enemies were armed with swords and they quickly jabbed them into the ground, holding them in place. The lead man was confident. "It'll take more than wind to take all of us down, Avatar!"

Aang was well aware of that. With one swift move, Aang used Earthbending to swallow their swords. The surprise on their faces was clear. "Give us back our—!"

The man didn't finish his statement because Aang sent the swords back up and hit them on their chins with the swords' hilt.

One of the men was able to grab his sword and make a charge for Aang. The Avatar needed distraction and Fire was his method. With quick fiery movements, Aang was able to disorient the enemy. He was ready to blow him off.

But then, Khai jumped in from the side and drove him to his feet.

The little boy turned to Aang. "Send me up!"

"What?"

"Just do it!"

Aang used Earthbending to launch him in the air. The lead man followed him. In his eyes, the boy was some kind of bird, flipping and rolling. He landed hard on his fists and they were engaged in mortal combat.

Aang was preoccupied with the three other men.

The young Avatar was quick to move, favoring a preemptive strike to render the others unprepared. In the night, the effects of Aang's Firebending were brilliant, if not blinding to the opponents around him. Aang deliberately missed his opponents, preferring to singe their clothes and cause a few irritating burns.

Khai was still moving. He was flighty with his feet, using erratic movement similar to Airbending. With his fists, he was mimicking Firebending, elaborating his attacks. The man had no chance in his battle. The boy pounced on him with the strength of Earthbending and hit his neck with swift Waterbending slices.

The fight was over as quickly as it had begun.

.

o0o

.

Khai reached over to Aang and hugged him. "That was the best! You were awesome!"

For a moment, Aang was speechless, realizing that this compliment was aimed at him.He hugged him back, like a big brother would to his sibling. "You did great too."

The boy smiled. He stepped away and bowed low, paying his respects. "It was an honor, Avatar, sir."

Aang bowed low. "And it was a privilege."

Someone had stepped in from the shadows. Aang had felt her, but realized that it was not his place to run away or fight. It was Khai's mother. She had one hand over her mouth the other holding her stomach. Sad tears and quiet sobs rose from her. "Khai... What were you doing...?"

Khai smiled at her, but he didn't jump around like the child Aang thought he was. He just smiled. "I've met a friend."

The mother looked at Aang. "Thank you..."

Aang bowed low. "Your son is an amazing—"

"...But I'm afraid that you can never see him again..."

And the mother pushed Khai back into the house. For a moment, Aang thought he lost a good friend today, but Khai turned his sweet little head around and winked at him. Aang smiled. Losing him was a misconception. He had a new friend.

.

o0o

.

Aang walked back to Appa, taking his time by passing through the forest. He thought of pleasant things. He thought of good times. He thought of the quiet. He thought of the breeze. He thought of Katara.

He thought of Katara lying on the ground.

He thought of Katara staring into the sky with her eyes staring straight up.

He saw her breathing slowly.

He saw her dying.

He saw her.

"Katara!"

.

.

.

_Finished this good. For those who hope for me to post more chapters, please be patient as I have to study for midterms. I'll do my best to post one or more chapters within the week. I'll do my best._

_If any of you remember that I said that I wouldn't make new characters, then I just made myself a freaking hypocrite with the introduction of Khai. The boy had been in my mind for years and I'm glad I put him here. He was inspired from Mixed-Martial Arts fighters, but the kid really represents the ordinary Avatar fan. He/she may not be able to bend an element, but he fights just as hard. Khai will also play other parts—nuff said._

_Please review. I want to know your reaction on Khai and the story so far. The writing has been great so far and I'm proud to say that I have garnered ten reviews within the timeline of two weeks. I thank those who've read and more so to those who reviewed. Reviews fuel the fanfic._

_Thank all of you for all your ideas and inputs. Your questions are well accepted too. Review and criticize. Input well accepted._

_Kojab8890_


	7. Chapter 7: Rising Heat

Author's Note: I was able to scrap a dozen few ideas together to make this story

_Author's Note: I was able to scrap a dozen few ideas together to make this story. I doubt it will stand to scrutiny and most of the details could be easily dismissed by a number of fans. But this (and many others) is a tribute to Avatar, the Last Airbender. This story is a continuation on my own terms and what I believe could happen. Thank you for reading so far and I'll keep typing. This is for you, Avatar! I hope to see other similar works in the near future._

_Disclaimer: I own no part of Avatar, the Last Airbender. But this story and this plot is entirely of my own creation. Any similarities to the official Avatar plotline are mere coincidences or are used for necessary events in the story. The same goes with the characters and settings._

Book 4

_Air_

Chapter seven:

Rising Heat

**Fire Nation Grand Plaza, Royal Palace**

It had always been Zuko's dream to wear his pants over his head and dance around like a happy rabbi-roo. He would go around in war paint and scream, "_Ice cream helps me rule the Fire Nation!_" And then, he would grab Mai's hand and prance around the plaza, skipping while tapping their feet. They would sing the old Ba Sing Se song and they would make funny faces by stretching their skin into ridiculous proportions.

"_Zuko… Wake up…_"

Zuko was immediately up, as if jolted by lightning. His sweat had wet his pillow and he was breathing hard.

"Another bad dream?" Mai smiled as she sat by his large bed.

Zuko wiped the sweat off his forehead and sat up. Sunlight was streaming through his bedroom window. "The pressure is just getting to me. That's all. What about you? How did you sleep?"

Mai shrugged. "My bed was nice. And I slept a lot better than you."

Zuko shook his head. "I doubt it. That was the longest time I've ever had since I've been crowned Fire Lord. I haven't had a chance to sleep for a long time. I've been kept so busy lately."

Mai nodded. "That's right. That was probably the longest time you've ever slept since your coronation."

Zuko could sense an underlying truth. "What are you getting at, Mai? Why are you even here?"

Mai smiled. The knowing smile on her face already told Zuko what exactly she was going to say. "You're later than ever. Master Jeong-Jeong has been waiting for you at the courtyard for quite some time now."

Zuko jumped off the bed immediately, banging his head with his fists. He stalked out of his room with his sleeping robes. "_Stupid ice cream!_"

Mai laughed lightly, placing the tips of her fingers on her lips.

.

o0o

.

Zuko was running frantically, slipping off his top clothes to prepare for practice. He swore everyone was looking at him. No Fire Nation Royal had ever seen the Fire Lord run while taking off his clothes all the way to the courtyard. They would have laughed had it not been the Fire Lord. But this Fire Lord wasn't as harsh. So they gave him a safe smile. Zuko was sure he was Firebending on his face.

Zuko ran into the courtyard. He stumbled on a small rock and landed face-first onto the courtyard. Without picking himself up, he raised his hand. "_I'm here! I'm not late!_"

Jeong-Jeong was sipping tea in the center of the courtyard. Everything was quiet to him until Zuko appeared. He cast an eye on his student. "Amazingly, that is true. You have defied the impossible, Fire Lord Zuko. But you are now over eager. As you can see, the sun has just risen over the mountains, Fire Lord Zuko."

Zuko tried to comprehend what Jeong-Jeong just said. His mind was still a jumble of ice cream, smiling people, flying clothes, and a sniggering Mai. When it finally hit him…

"_MAI!_"

.

o0o

.

"I will not teach you lightning today," spoke Jeong-Jeong as he took a sip of tea. "Today, I will teach you precision and focus."

Zuko groaned. For the past week, Jeong-Jeong had been skirting away from their main lesson: creating lightning. He had restarted Firebending basics all over again, teaching him to hold his root correctly and the essence of human energy. But that didn't mean to say that the lessons didn't help him at all. It was just that the Firebending Master had not talked about lightning.

The Firebending master pointed to a square piece of cloth on the far end of the courtyard. In the middle was a red mark. "Precision demands piece of mind, concentration, and focus. To hit that target, you must picture it in your mind—focus on it until it becomes bigger and bigger. When it becomes the size of the cloth itself, that's when you strike. Are you ready? Good."

It didn't take Zuko that long to fire. He hit the target dead center with two shots of fire from his fingers while interchanging his hands.

Jeong-Jeong was impressed and he showed it with a simple smile. "I can see that you have mastered precision quite well. But to prove it, you will have to hit the target once more. But this time, you will hit it with a continuous stream of fire. Hold it as long as you can. And you are not to hit outside the target. Focus, Zuko."

It had been a long time since Zuko had been called this way—without the "Fire Lord" label. Zuko would have said to the master that he was a person of high respect and he should treat him that way. But when Jeong-Jeong had said this to him, he had said it the same way Iroh would. He was treating him like any other Firebender and that humbled him for a moment.

"Are you ready?"

Zuko exhaled. "Yes."

Zuko shot out a thin stream of concentrated fire that precisely hit its target. For the Fire Lord, it looked quite simple. Using two fingers, he shot out a line of fire. But the task had deceived him. The target had been easy to hit but maintaining it was difficult. If he continued this line of fire at his current power, the fire would run out quickly. The solution for that was to add more energy into his action, but doing so could accidentally force more fire out of him, making his line much thicker—moving him out of the small target.

The key was balance.

The effort to maintain such balance was causing strain on his arm and hand. For a second, Zuko's fire-line had moved to the right. Jeong-Jeong caught sight of this.

"_Focus_, Zuko! Endure!"

Zuko was gritting his teeth now, perspiring on his forehead. His hand was beginning to twitch. He held his shooting hand with his other hand, hoping that he could hold it together and focus his aim.

Now, the fire was coming along in pulses, sputtering like an old steam engine. Zuko was fearful. He needed more power. He pushed his energy forward.

That was a mistake.

His small stream of fire suddenly burst with too much force and his shooting fingers turned into his whole hand. That target?—it was burned and so was the rest of the cloth.

Zuko turned at Jeong-Jeong angrily. "It's impossible! No one could ever hold back energy for that long!"

Jeong-Jeong shook his head. "You are thinking like every other Firebender I've ever come across. They use Firebending in quick explosive attacks—sacrificing time for power. They put all their force in one attack or in quick successive attacks. But you should understand that in Firebending, power comes from the weaker, focused, and precise technique."

Zuko was exasperating. "How can weak fire be powerful?"

Jeong-Jeong said nothing. Instead, he showed it. The Firebending master turned to the courtyard's rectangular pool of water. Zuko turned to see what he was going to do.

Suddenly, a continuous fountain of flame shot up from the water.

This should be impossible! Fire should not come from water! But when Zuko stared a lot closer, he realized that the fire began spouting just above the water's surface. Jeong-Jeong was displaying a mastery of precision, creating fire where it should be difficult.

When the fire had died out, Zuko turned back to Jeong-Jeong, amazed.

But Jeong-Jeong had one more surprise for Zuko.

When Zuko turned to look at the Fire-bending master, he was four feet in the air. His arms and hands were straight, pointing downward at an angle. His feet were straight and a steady flow of fire held him up.

The man was flying.

It looked like a simple flame, but it was much more complex than the one Zuko had seen his sister do. Azula was incapable of maintaining level flight. She used her fire to keep her moving up and moving forward. She could never stay in one place. Meanwhile, Jeong-Jeong's fire was more of a blowtorch, holding him up in the air. Zuko was seeing a master of control and precision.

Jeong-Jeong swept to Zuko's left, staying at the same height. His face was firm and the man didn't even break a sweat.

"The misconception of Firebending is that you have to use a lot of force to do great damage," spoke Jeong-Jeong. "But earlier, you demonstrated to me that you could hit a far enough target and eliminate it using precision. Putting too much energy into one force will tire you out easily. A precise and concentrated shot could do the same damage as an explosive attack. It also lessens the amount of time needed for you to do damage."

Jeong-Jeong landed slowly on the ground. His feet touched the ground without difficulty. "I have trained many people Firebending, Fire Lord Zuko. I have seen those who use it for power and for glory. But today, you have proven to me that you are not one of those people. By hitting that target, you have demonstrated that you do have control and precision—all it needs is proper guidance and some amplification.

"Firebenders would trade good control for a powerful force. But a candle-flame on the face can burn you just as much as an explosive blast."

.

o0o

.

After mastering control and focus, Zuko was ready to fly. Jeong-Jeong had promised to teach him this to show his mastery over control and precision.

Zuko stood erect, taking in his good breath of air. Peace of mind was needed for concentration. After a few seconds of feeling the sun, Zuko was ready. Master Jeong-Jeong took a few steps back just in case. _Three…Two…One…_

Zuko's force was concentrated—too concentrated.

"_Aaaaa!!_"

His force exploded right beneath his feet, sending him up in a short snap. The Fire Lord flew ten feet in the air and came falling back into one of the rectangular water pools. There was a big splash and Zuko was soaked. Master Jeong-Jeong helped him back to his feet.

"Lesser force, Zuko. Build on your energy—focus it."

Zuko tried again. This time, the fire was so small that it looked like Zuko was just burning his feet. With this, Zuko increased his energy, applying more force downward. He could feel the fire intensify at his feet. He focused it, making sure that the energy came out controlled.

And slowly, he began to rise.

It took great effort and he was still consciously trying to maintain this force, but it was working out perfectly. There were still a few problems, but at least Zuko had leveled himself a foot off the ground. The sound of his fire was strong. His fire did sputter occasionally, but Zuko fairly had control.

And with this small success, Zuko decided to get himself higher.

As Zuko rose higher, he could see that he was losing his balance. There really was no flat ground beneath him, only a strange force holding him up. Zuko was about to fall face-first onto the ground. Luckily, he had the quick thinking of using his hands for balance. With his hands, he did the same blowtorch effect from his feet.

But now, Zuko's actions made him spin around slowly with his body facing down and his limbs spread out, fire from his hands and feet.

"You look funny, you know that?"

Zuko caught sight of Mai in one of his rotations. Zuko had a hard time just looking at her as he spun. His face went green.

"Mai—what—are—you—doing—here?"

"Apparently, watching the Fire Lord spin around," she said with a smile.

"This—isn't—funny!"

Zuko's protests distracted him from his Firebending and his fire snuffed out. The Fire Lord fell to the ground.

"Focus, Fire Lord Zuko!" spoke Jeong-Jeong. "Even in the air, you have to apply the same rules of Firebending. In the air, you still need _root_. Keep your body straight and hold you power strong enough so that you can maintain balance. Precision, focusing, and control—they are your masters until you make them serve you."

So Zuko continued training.

.

.

**Wulong Harbor, western shoreline of the Earth Kingdom**

"_You know what to do. Make sure that in less than two days time, you and the rest of your men are already within Ba Sing Se. I want a report as soon as possible. Send the report through a messenger bird_," spoke Zhao.

Zhao was speaking to the leader of a group of men with red markings on their faces and bows and arrows on their back. They sported no headgear, but a small band of cloth around their heads and they were keen never to speak. These were the elite archers of the Fire Nation. Their skill was legendary.

The Yu Yan archers.

The lead archer bowed low and whistled. They were already on their way. The small group ran into the trees and quickly disappeared.

General Shinu stepped in from behind. "We are ready to set sail."

Zhao turned around. "_Very good. We leave as soon as possible._"

General Shinu watched as Zhao headed towards their ship. He then turned to see if he could catch one last sight of the Yu Yan archers. They were gone. And then General Shinu looked into the horizon.

_Aside from delivering the Yu Yan archers, this mission was entirely futile_, thought Shinu. _Zhao said that this trip would be necessary, but we amounted to nothing. There was no Air Nomad. And even if we did miss something from that air sanctuary, there would be no way to return now. The ground on the surface had collapsed over it._

It had come in General Shinu's mind that he had expected to find something. But there was nothing. And now, all that was left was to return back to the Fire Nation to initiate Zhao's plans.

Zhao called from behind him. "_Casting off!_"

General Shinu turned around and began running.

.

o0o

.

The Fire Nation ironclad ship was now moving westward towards the Fire Nation. On deck were rows of Imperial Firebenders. These Firebenders were powerful already without the use of special techniques such as lightning. But to make them even fiercer, they fought in organized groups. They were employed to defend the Fire Lord at all costs and they served him loyally.

But like all men, there was always a question of loyalty.

Zhao and General Shinu stepped up the deck. The wind was just right. "_Men—at ease!_"

The rows of Imperial Firebenders squatted on the ground with their backs straight. Even at ease, these men were taut. Their shock of seeing the dead admiral disappeared days ago.

"_Ever since you stepped on this ship, there has always been a question of allegiance. General Shinu had brought you on this ship so that I may convince you that the Fire Lord is not who he appears to be. He has destroyed our once proud nation. He has torn apart our ideals and principles and continuously puts our nation at risk. If we are to restore our nation, the Fire Lord must fall!_"

This short speech was highly unbelievable. The Imperial Firebenders knew this quite well. But there was something about the man that made them believe it. If a man could return from the dead, maybe he could put these men there. So they believed him out of fear.

"_All of you will be divided into two groups,_" spoke Zhao. "_One faction will be under my command and the others will be under General Shinu. All of you will be advised according to your commanders. In three days, we will begin our plan and—oh! What a surprise! You've chosen to come out after all!_"

Zhao was talking about the figure that had stepped out of the lower deck and was walking towards them. The Imperial Firebenders resisted the urge to turn their heads. All they could hear was the slow tapping of metal from someone coming from behind them.

Azula was walking like a drunkard. Her hair was not tied up and it moved with the unruly wind. She was in her old gold-and-black war armor. Her face was a rotten scowl. Her eyes were wide and her pupils were small. Her lips were open, but her teeth were barred.

Zhao welcomed her. "_Hello. What, pray tell, are you doing up this early?_"

Azula wasn't listening. She just continued walking forward; dragging her right foot behind her like it was dead. Her hair covered her face. The Imperial Firebenders could hear angry sobs.

Suddenly, Azula grabbed one of the Imperial Firebenders near her, taking off his helmet and pulling him to his feet.

"_What is my __**name**__!_" she hissed. Her spit splattered onto the man's face.

The guard could see the cold in her small eyes. A person like this should not be allowed to be left unchecked. There was anger in her eyes—a fury that should have burned him when she touched him. She trembled erratically.

"_WHAT IS MY NAME!_" she screeched.

"_A-A-Azula…_"

The Imperial Firebender had answered it right. So when Azula threw him back on the ground and broke his arm on impact, he realized that he had made a grave mistake. If her stares were daggers, he would already be flying off the ship.

She grabbed his collar again. "_I AM __**FIRE LORD**__ AZULA!!_"

Meanwhile, Shinu was watching this with dread. He made a step forward, but Zhao lifted a hand. There was a smile on his face. "_Don't interrupt this. She knows what she's doing, Shinu…_"

Azula forced him to the ground again. A charge of white hot pain shot up from below him and he screamed. The princess' foot was on his chest, pinning him to the deck. The soldier was trained never to show fear. He disobeyed that order greatly. He had seen many things about the deadly Princess Azula. She would kill him.

Azula placed three fingers from her left hand on the soldier's head. She placed another three fingers from her right hand on the man's neckline. She faced skywards.

A beam of blood-red energy shot into the heavens. They came from Azula's eyes and mouth.

The soldier could not move, he realized. He was in a trance. In a second, his thoughts were reduced to bodily energy and spirit. A beam of orange energy shot out of the man's eyes and mouth.

And the ship shook with such spiritual power.

Blood-red energy started shining out of her exterior. The soldier's body was quickly dissolving into an orange energy. The process shook the ship even more. The sky was fully engulfed with light from their energy. The sky had taken the color of orange and blood-red.

Shinu made another move forward, but this time, Zhao held him in place. "_No Shinu! She knows what she's doing!_"

Shinu would not hear any of it. "The girl will kill that soldier! He's going to die! I have to save him!"

"_Stop, Shinu! You're acting irrationally! Stop and watch!_"

General Shinu did stop and all he could do was watch.

.

o0o

.

For a moment, everything was at a standstill.

Azula and the soldier were still locked in the same positions, shining with their spiritual energy. And then, Azula's energy started creeping through her fingers and into the man's body, engulfing him like oil on water. His spirit was quickly being consumed. The man's orange aura was slowly slipping away into blood-red. The energy had already covered his mouth and right eye.

In a few seconds, the man's spirit was overwhelmed.

The sky was completely blood-red.

A charge of dark red energy shot into the heavens

.

o0o

.

When the lightshow was over, the man moaned in pain and Azula dangled her arms warily. But she stood up quickly, regaining her composure. With strong steps, she walked back towards him. The soldier saw her coming.

Azula went mad.

"_**VRRAAAAAAA!!**_"

A blast of blue fire burst out of her mouth. The Imperial Firebender made a quick swipe of his hands to blow out the fire—but something was wrong. _My Firebending is gone…_

The blast of fire sent the man flying off the deck of the ship and into the waters below.

.

o0o

.

Azula was not yet through. She stepped forward, dragging herself through the groups of squatting Imperial Firebenders. She stepped forward until she reached Zhao. Zhao smiled and bowed low. "_How may I serve you Fire Lord Azula?_" Shinu was backing away slowly. Azula paid him no mind.

"I want food in my quarters," she said. Then, Azula turned around and walked away, heading for the lower deck. She disappeared quickly.

Zhao lifted himself up and turned to look at General Shinu who had stepped away. Zhao shook his head disapprovingly. General Shinu shouldn't be afraid of that girl. He should respect her.

It was only then that Zhao realized that he did not know the General that well. Sure he had spied on him a number of times and he had understood that the General did not wish to serve Zuko, but Zhao still didn't know much of him. He didn't spy on him that much, especially when the General went on the many boring royal assemblies. But Zhao did trust the man and that was most important. But to truly gain the man's trust, he must make him fearful of his nature.

Maybe he'd find time to do that later.

No.

No.

Zhao had no time for antics.

_There will be all the time in the world after my plot… Right now, all the concentration has to be put in these soldiers. I have three days before the assault on the Royal Palace… If I am to succeed, I need to make sure that these men are up to the job… I cannot fail…_

.

o0o

.

By the end of the day, all the men were trained accordingly on what should happen and what they should do. But they had been trained differently. Zhao had gone deep into his talk, increasing his voice once in a while and shaking the men to their bones. When he was done with discussing, the men were ready for battle.

General Shinu's men were on the other side of the deck. The General spoke softly and the men listened attentively. No person from a different group could hear what was going on at the other side of the deck. But the General fulfilled his duties and finished well. These men were also ready for battle.

At the end of the day, General Shinu and Zhao met to discuss one last time.

"_How did it go?_" asked Zhao. "_I didn't hear much from your side. I fear the men would have fallen asleep from your soft words._" And Zhao chuckled.

General Shinu smiled politely. "They got the message, Zhao. They know exactly what to do. And though you couldn't hear anything from my side, I could hear everything from yours. Those men should have run away from that deep ghostly voice of yours."

The two shared good laughter.

Zhao raised an imaginary cup of wine. "_To the Fire Nation!_"

Shinu smiled and joined in. "_To the Fire Nation!_"

.

.

**Fire Nation Grand Plaza, Royal Palace**

Zuko did not spend the whole day defying gravity. He had joined a number of assemblies and meetings, all concerning themselves with various Fire Nation rebuilding activities. There was the occasional royal painter who'd come and ask him if he wanted anything, but said no. The attendants were nice, but often, when Zuko was late, they became quite dragging. And after a day of political undertaking, Zuko and Mai had a picnic to watch the sunset and just relax.

"It would be nice if you held a circus, you know?" Mai blurted out suddenly. She rested on Zuko's shoulder.

Zuko was not prepared for such a topic. "I don't understand."

Mai extended her hands apart, imagining something big. "There would be a lot of people and the royals at the palace would attend. The attraction would be, '_See flying, spinning Fire Lord. Laugh at your own risk._' I would get a front row seat, of course, since I'm your girlfriend."

Zuko grunted and wiped his face clean with one hand. "You're not going to let me live that down, are you?"

Mai smiled at him. "Never."

Zuko sighed and glared at her. "I still have to get back at you for making me go to training that early. People were smiling at me. I've never been so embarrassed in my whole life!"

Mai laughed lightly. "You weren't having a good dream anyway. I did you some good by putting you out of it… What _were_ you dreaming anyway?"

Another awkward blush crossed Zuko's face and he looked away. "It was…uh…nothing…"

Mai smiled wider. "Oh, I'm not sure about that… What about ice cream and the Fire Nation?"

Zuko snapped his head back. "How did you—?"

Mai patted Zuko's leg. "You talk when you sleep, dum-dum. Some of the things you say when you sleep are quite revealing. I never knew you wanted to dance around with your pants over your head."

Zuko was way past embarrassed now. "There was nothing! I forbid you to mention this to anyone!"

Mai placed a hand on Zuko's cheek. They kissed.

Mai got up first and started running.

"_Too late, Zuko! I told everyone!_"

.

o0o

.

After an hour of pointless chasing, Zuko realized that Mai was a better runner than he was and he had to rest a number of times because blisters were starting to come up on his feet. His shoes were still some sizes too small. Deciding that he'd give up, Zuko headed back towards the palace to rest. He'd have to find a way to convince whoever Mai told that it was nothing but a prank.

As soon as Zuko reached the hallway outside his room, he caught sight of Mai's silhouette through the curtain. Zuko had a feeling that she was about to attack him the moment he popped in. _No. Not today, Mai… Today, I will catch you!_

Zuko jumped in and hugged her immediately.

"Aha! I've caught you at—!"

It was Jeong-Jeong sitting on a chair.

"YAH!" Zuko jumped, completely disgusted. "GROSS!"

Jeong-Jeong lifted a brow. "I appreciate the affection, but I'm afraid it doesn't go both ways."

Zuko looked around, hoping Mai wasn't here to see that. When he realized that only two people were in his room, Zuko turned back to the Firebending master. "Why are you _here_?"

Jeong-Jeong stood up. "I've come to tell you that I'm leaving."

Zuko was taken aback. "But why? We haven't even created lightning yet!"

Jeong-Jeong looked past Zuko. "The truth is that I cannot create lightning. Lightning generation requires one to have piece of mind and he has to be at one with everything. I am a very conflicted man, you see. Firebending has always been a curse for me. I always believed that lightning would be a deadly creation and I cannot use it. Because of this thinking, I have never created lightning before."

Zuko was angry now. "Then what was all that training! Why did I have to do all of those precision and 'feel-the-sun' basics! I shouldn't have asked for your help in the first place! You gave me nothing that I needed!"

Jeong-Jeong shook his head. "I fully believe that one day, you will create lightning. I have taught you methods and basics that will allow you to accomplish that. Even lightning goes astray, Zuko. When you do tell me that you've created lightning, then I will be very proud of you.

"But I hope that when you do create lightning, I am not there to see it."

And the Firebending Master brushed past Zuko and walked out of his room. Zuko just stood there, listening to his words, understanding what he meant. Zuko's anger had diminished low enough for him to be logical again. Why did he choose to learn lightning? He chose to learn so he could be prepared in case something went wrong. But Jeong-Jeong was a man who did not support Firebending for murder. He was an enlightened man and he was reasonably the most powerful Firebender in the world.

And did Zuko learn from him?

His uncle once said something along the lines of: "_Finding things when you never really intended to find them…_" Zuko learned enough. He learned a lot of things Firebenders often trample over and knowing them made Zuko a better bender.

Zuko turned to Jeong-Jeong. "Thank you, master."

Jeong-Jeong turned around. "Until our paths cross again, Fire Lord." And the man bowed in respect.

.

.

.

_Sorry MustangDriver477, this chapter needed to come first. It is essential to the rest of the story. But I promise that Katara and Sokka's story will come next. It's a cycle of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. Just be ready when it comes out : )_

_And when I began writing this chapter, I wasn't really thinking straight. Ice cream? What is wrong with me! Anyway, I like the way the story came out and we're almost ready for the initiation of Zhao's plans—just two more pieces to fit._

_I would love some reviews from any of the readers before Zhao's plans initiate. Reviews make the writing worthwhile. And I want everyone to keep one thing in mind…_

_I want everyone to get ready._

_Team Avatar will be back._


	8. Chapter 8: Against the Flow

Author's Note: I was able to scrap a dozen few ideas together to make this story

_Author's Note: I was able to scrap a dozen few ideas together to make this story. I doubt it will stand to scrutiny and most of the details could be easily dismissed by a number of fans. But this (and many others) is a tribute to Avatar, the Last Airbender. This story is a continuation on my own terms and what I believe could happen. Thank you for reading so far and I'll keep typing. This is for you, Avatar! I hope to see other similar works in the near future._

_Disclaimer: I own no part of Avatar, the Last Airbender. But this story and this plot is entirely of my own creation. Any similarities to the official Avatar plotline are mere coincidences or are used for necessary events in the story. The same goes with the characters and settings._

Book 4

_Air_

Chapter eight:

Against the Flow

.

.

**South Pole, Southern Water Tribe (****A week ago)**

Katara hugged her father the last. Her whole family was here, bidding her goodbye. "If you keep going off to see the Avatar," spoke her father jokingly, "I might have to force you to marry him."

Katara was shocked. "_Dad_!"

Hakkoda was laughing. "I was just kidding. You take care now. And be safe. I've been hearing a lot about this mysterious air-taker from the Mechanist. I'm not sure if I can let you go without your older brother."

Katara growled. "I'm not even going alone because of you. Couldn't I just go on my own? I can cover more ground and I can travel faster."

Hakkoda pointed to three men shivering behind Katara. "They're only here to keep you safe, Katara. Besides, they'll only take you as far as the western Earth Kingdom's west coast. Huu is probably the most likely man to find the Avatar for you. I've called these men to aid you in your search."

These three shivering men were in fact Tho, Du, and Huu, the three members of the Foggy Swamp Tribe. They were still in their leafy tribal clothes—leaf-hat and leaf underwear. Their skin had gone pale white and it was cracking. They shivered and shivered.

"_N-No wonder y-you pe-people need-need p-pants! I-I've g-got fffff-frost bite'in all over my b-body!_" chattered Du.

Tho, the shortest of the three, was already half covered in snow. The man almost looked like a little snowman with a frozen ponytail. His face was a grumpy one, though he did shiver with the cold winds. Tho turned his head to move the snow that was stuck on his neck. His frozen ponytail suddenly hit Tho on the elbow.

The tip of Tho's hair shattered and fell to the ground.

"_What d'ya do that fer?_" Du exclaimed, trying to spread his arms up.

Tho wasn't listening to him. Instead, he scampered onto the snow. When he found the frozen tip of his hair, he nestled it in his arms. "_Ma'h hair!_"

Huu was shivering by himself. He tried to look comfortable, posing with a wide smile on his face. But his smile was creepy and his shivering made him look like a raving lunatic. "_C-Cold is an illusion… and so is—A-ACHOO!_"

Sokka smiled at them and pointed to Huu. "Bless you."

Hakkoda tapped Katara on the shoulder. "Now you be safe. We're only one messenger hawk away."

Sokka stepped forward with a goofy smile. "When you meet Aang, give him a little rub on the head for me. Tell him he owes me a sword. Oh! And tell him I said hi!"

Katara hugged her brother. "I'll miss you."

Sokka nodded and embraced her back. "You too. Take care then."

Master Pakku and Gran-gran were waving behind her. They had given her some supplies before leaving and a much larger sleeping bag than the one they had before. She kissed them on the cheek and stepped away from the ice shore and got on the boat.

The boat the Foggy Swamp people had brought was much larger than the swamp skiffs they used. The boat could seat six and had a thin wooden hull—which was covered in ice and snow. It had a mast which held a cloth sail. On the sides were pontoons made of bamboo that acted to balance the boat perfectly. It was made to handle long distance voyages—but not exactly ready for the frigid South Pole.

When Katara stepped on the boat, it tipped to the side. The Waterbender was having second thoughts about going onboard this thing. It didn't look like it was meant for the sea at all—more like an upside-down roof for a wooden house.

Tho and Du stepped on last and Huu was at the front, pulling the cloth sail and covering his shivering body. Katara watched as Tho and Du started rotating their arms in a rigid motion to propel the boat forward. But nothing seemed to be happening. In fact, they were shivering more than their bending.

Hakkoda walked towards them. "Are you sure you guys don't need some clothes? You two look like—"

"_W-We d-d-don't need no c-c-clothes!_" snapped Tho. "_We're goin!_"

Katara chuckled from where she sat, but concealed it in case of irritating the rest of the Swamp people. She watched as Tho and Due started bending again. She could see flakes of ice cracking all over their body and dropping away. The two rotated their arms again, but this time, the little boat lurched forward. A small foam of water trailed along behind them.

Katara took one last look at her family waving back at him, at the home she once saw destroyed, but now restored, at the life she thought she had. She waved back, acknowledging that she was leaving.

Then, Katara stared forward, looking what lay ahead, hoping to find Aang, remembering the horrors of a war-torn land, and overcoming the feeling of dread that overwhelmed her whole body.

.

o0o

.

**Earth Kingdom, Western shoreline (****two days ago)**

"More soup please."

The woman poured a gunk of what she preferred to call food. The yellowish slime landed on her plate before Katara could protest. The little Waterbender placed a plastic smile on her face and a hesitant nod of her head. "Do you have something a little less—_gunky_?"

The lady raised a brow. An angry face was beneath the woman's face. "You don't like it? Are you saying you _hate_ my food?"

Katara was backing off slightly. She would have stayed in place had not the woman been waving a large butcher knife near her face. Katara could see that this woman's faced folded up when she got angry.

"I'm not saying that your food's _bad_…" Katara hesitated. "I'm just saying that your food is—"

The woman laughed loudly.

"It's okay, kid! Of course I _know_ my food is bad! Why do you think I serve it to all these soldiers for _free_?"

Katara went silent, staring at the woman with wide eyes.

The woman waved her large butcher knife dangerously in front of her face. "Now go! Keep the lines moving! There are other people who want their slops!"

Katara turned away, and started her walk. She continued staring at her thick pasty food. It smelled of decayed animal and there seemed to be bubbling on the top. But everyone around her seemed to like it. Katara shrugged. Maybe if she tried it, it wouldn't be too bad.

All around her was the sound of soft merriment and the distant calls of Screeching Birds. At night, the lines of troops stopped from where they were and camped in circles, lighting bonfires for light. People who decided to help the soldiers began lining up with all sorts of stalls for their food. Some over-charged, some gave food out of pity and kindness. The soldiers didn't question once why they were here. They just accepted their fortunes.

Katara came here a few days ago after Huu and the other two Swampbenders left her south of the Earth Kingdom. At first, it was difficult to find information. But then she began hearing rumors and all she had to do was follow them. It led her here, but Aang was still nowhere to be found.

"_Have you heard? There was this old man who got the air sucked right out of him?_"

This instantly caught Katara's attention. She found a group of men sitting around a bonfire, eating their slops. They were a mix of Fire Nation soldiers and Earth Kingdom soldiers. It was odd to see such peace and calm between them. Katara neared them with her plate.

"May I sit with you people?"

A Fire Nation man raised his head and turned to the girl in blue. "And where are you from?"

Katara shrugged. "The Southern Water Tribe."

An Earth Kingdom soldier shrugged. "Not a lot of Waterbenders in the Southern Water Tribe, but I heard they're rebuilding. Are you heading home from war, missy—maybe to see your parents again?"

Katara squatted on the ground and laid her plate on her lap. "No. I'm just visiting."

The Fire Nation man looked back at his slop and started mixing it with a chopstick. "Well, you better take care. These forests are getting far too dangerous for the likes of little girls." And then, on a happier tone, he smiled at Katara. "By the way, I'm Admiral Chan."

The Earth Kingdom soldier lifted a chopstick in greeting. The others in the circle greeted her with full mouths.

Katara nodded, finally feeling a sense of group belonging. She started with eating a little of her slop and found it to be quite satisfying in the sense of, 'I've-been-stranded-in-the-desert-with-no-food-and-I-need-to-eat-right-now'. She didn't regret taking her first bite, especially because her stomach had been rumbling. But she did tell herself that if ever she'd go on another journey to find Aang, she'd bring a lifetime's supply of food.

"I've heard you talking about an old man who died because the air was taken out of him," spoke Katara plainly. "Is it true?"

The Earth Kingdom soldier dug deeper into his slop. "That's what a friend of mine told me. They also tell me it's an Airbender who did it. I'm not sure if I can believe that. There are a lot of things that I don't believe in—after all, the Air Nomads were said to be killed." Then, he shrugged. "But anything's possible now. See the wind? It's a time of change. If somehow, an Airbender did survive, I bet it's reasonable that he'd be angry when he finds out that everything he lived for was destroyed. Luckily," he joked. "Luckily I'm no Fire Nation soldier.

Admiral Chan grunted and glared at the Earth Kingdom soldier. After the soldier stopped laughing, Admiral Chan continued the conversation. "The truth is that I doubt it's an Air Nomad. If anything, I believe it's the Avatar. He is the last Airbender, after all."

Katara felt strained. A boiling rage started swelling up inside her. How could this man accuse Aang of such things!

"Why the Avatar?" asked one of the soldiers. "He's saved the world a dozen times."

Another said. "Isn't it like a Fire Nation soldier to think bad about the Avatar."

But another person in Earth Kingdom uniform entered the conversation. "Don't you see? With all that power a man could be corrupted—he could use it against his enemies for pleasure. In due time, that power will make him different…it will make him worse."

The Earth Kingdom soldier looked at him oddly. "Listen to yourself! Have you ever heard of a corrupt Avatar? Sure a lot of Avatars have made some mistakes, but this is different. This man was killed silently. In all my years, I have never heard of an Avatar assassin."

Admiral Chan looked up. "Well, this is the time of change. What if this is new? What if the Avatar has indeed turned bad?"

"_HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT ABOUT YOUR AVATAR!_" Katara shrieked. "_Aang would never hurt anyone! Never!_"

Katara looked away from the men, hiding her anger and frustration. If anyone had noticed, her slop just melted into a sort of white, wet, pudding on her plate.

Admiral Chan looked solemnly at her. "I-I'm sorry… I didn't mean to offend you… Did you know him…?"

Katara hugged her knees and placed her chin on them. She stared into the fire. "I know him…"

Silence.

Katara looked at the Earth Kingdom soldier. "You said a friend told you about this old man's death. Does he know where this old man lives?"

The Waterbender didn't expect a straight answer. Most of the people that gave her directions were so misleading that sometimes, she ended up the same place where she started. But Katara took every information people would tell her, hoping that somehow, she would find Aang.

"Actually," said the Earth Kingdom soldier, "The old man's house is not too far from here. I'm not pretty sure about the details, but there's a tavern over yonder. Maybe you could ask the people there."

Katara suddenly felt full and she dropped her plate and stood up. This was straight enough information. "A nearby tavern, you say?"

The Earth Kingdom soldier pointed beyond the woods. "It's in a small village. It's not hard to find even in the night. It's still early evening and that place should be full of lighted candles."

Without a farewell, Katara started walking away, determined to finish this problem once and for all.

"Be careful!" shouted the Earth Kingdom soldier. "The woods are awfully quiet tonight."

.

o0o

.

Problems began to arise when Katara realized that she was walking too slowly, therefore losing too much time. If she didn't pick up the pace, it would get late and the village would probably douse their candles. The village would be completely invisible and she would have to find it by daybreak.

Katara looked up and hoped the trees did not obstruct the light of the moon. It was the only light she had. Katara did not dare bring a torch as it might attract any of the curious little creatures that lived in the forest. In any case, Katara had her water satchel ready. She would not be caught of guard.

A fleeting shadow.

Katara was jumpy. "Who's there?"

No one was there.

A strong breeze blew right into her. The trees' leaves rustled and shook, their branches bending. The silence all around her was unnerving. In this open space, Katara felt distant, isolated, and alone. She had never been this alone in her entire life. Sure, there was the time when she had been placed in that underground prison by the Dai Li. But not like this. Now, there was nothing to think about. There was just a small driving force to keep going—a driving force that was losing more and more sense with each step farther away from home.

Some rustling.

A stronger wind.

And then, distant voices.

The silence all around her allowed Katara to hear these voices. She could hear seven men, all talking in hushed tones. Katara crept to a nearby bush to listen to them.

"_Are you boys ready?_"

"_Yes sir_," said another voice. "_But why bring all of us? We're just going to get one boy._"

"_This is more than just a boy…_" spoke the first man. "_He's some sort of coordinated fighter. I've never seen anything like it. He took out another of my men and me with these brass knuckles of his. But I believe we're more than enough to handle this boy now._"

"_What about the other taller boy that's there with him?_"

There was silence for another few seconds.

"_Yes… I see him… It's the Avatar… He's with the boy…_"

Katara nearly leaped.

"_What should we do with him?_" asked another man.

"_Isn't there a bounty going out for the capture of the Avatar?_" asked another man.

The first man chuckled. "_Why yes… There is… This will be a great night for us. Maybe we could get two iguana-birds with one stone…_"

"_When do we—_?"

The conversation ground to a halt when suddenly, the man who was talking was suddenly pulled into the trees. Katara grabbed him from above and froze him in place. The others who had seen him go were suddenly nervous. What had happened? The others began to rattle in place. But the lead man had no patience.

"We don't have time for this!" said the lead man. "We have to capture the boy before he gets away again! One of you go and see if something happened to Lim! The rest of us move in for the kill!"

The lone man who decided to search for the other man moved silently on the grass, his sword clutched tightly on his hand. He crept and moved at the balls of his feet, figuring that he had somehow melted into the shadows. If he heard any sudden movement, saw any disturbance, the man would not hesitate to land a blow.

Too bad he was also an idiot.

The man caught sight of Katara before the pale white moon, standing like a dark figure from his many nightmares. He should have attacked. And luckily, he did. It was just useless.

The man charged with a swish of his blade. He was fast—but Katara was faster. When the sharp metal blade stuck out, Katara Waterbended a snake of water from her satchel and whipped it with such force that it sliced the blade in half.

The man ended up with nothing but a hilt and a jutted edge.

"The heck with this! I'm getting out of here!"

The man started to run across the run, stumbling as he went. He was blinded by the darkness of the forest and deafened by the silence of the woods. His feet crunched against wet grass.

But Katara would not let him escape. She had heard what this man was going to do to Aang and she would not allow him to fulfill that task.

_I won't let you hurt anyone!_

Katara slowly placed her hand down in a sifting motion. Then, slowly, rose her fingers up. As the man ran, he paid no attention to the grass which had instantly withered away. But he did feel a sudden "wet" feeling reach over his ankles and pull him down. He could no longer move. Somehow, ice had covered his feet.

Katara had pulled water from the plants.

The man turned around and saw Katara standing over him. "_What do you want with me?_" he shuddered.

Katara Waterbended a small blob of water and iced his mouth.

.

o0o

.

Katara was determined. Her core had iced over. Her eyes were hard and her hands were clenched. Her next job was to stop the rest of the men from attacking Aang. She made a run for it, her movements almost scary. A clearing was just ahead and she could hear the sounds of grunting. They were already fighting. It was time Katara joined in.

Then, she saw bright orange flashes.

It was Aang.

He was Firebending so well that Katara's determination faltered. Something else filled her. Pride. Aang was an amazing bender and if she hadn't been reminded so often, she would underestimate him. He looked nothing more than a boy in a shawl. The mastery of all the arts and the sight of him nearly made her cry.

Nearly.

But Katara was still ready to jump into the fight.

And then, there was a ferocious gust of wind.

Something huge slammed into Katara from behind—knocking her unconscious.

.

o0o

.

When Katara woke again, she felt empty and exhausted. Her breathing was incredibly shallow and she felt as if she was half-dead. She placed all her strength into her arms and hands and reached for her neck. When she placed it there, she realized that she could no longer breathe. She could hear her own dying gasps. There was no longer any rise and fall of the chest.

So when the darkness descended over her again, she welcomed it and fell right in.

Her eyes were open, but she saw nothing.

.

.

**South Pole, Fishing Grounds**** (present day)**

Sokka was irritated all over.

"_Could you please turn that thing off? It's scaring away the fish!_"

The Mechanist complied and shut the machine off.

Sokka and the Mechanist were in the fishing grounds. Chief Hakkoda had assigned Sokka to teach the Mechanist some tribal lifestyle since their people would be staying in the city for quite some time—and that was already a lot of mouths to feed. Sokka had been enthusiastic to teach the Mechanist some fishing but he realized that this would be more of a burden than a pleasure.

"Couldn't you have made an engine that was a little bit more _quiet_?" asked Sokka.

The Mechanist smiled. "I'm sorry, Sokka, my boy, but this thing needs a lot of blasting jelly and all that combustion makes pretty loud sounds."

The machine in question was actually a miniaturized engine the Mechanist had rigged to Sokka's little kayak. The engine was powerful and it was connected to a small paddlewheel. Sokka was ecstatic about the device, but realized that the machine was a monster! Luckily, the Mechanist had stopped the device and the kayak floated freely.

When the noise was lost in the air, Sokka took out a small spear. "This, my friend, is a good old-fashioned spear. Master it well and you can catch any fish."

Sokka turned to the water and saw a fish swimming right beside the boat. He licked his lips and rubbed his mittens. "Ah! Look! Our first catch of the day!" Sokka turned to the Mechanist. "By the end of the day, I promise you that you will learn the ancient art of spear-fishing. Watch closely as I catch our first fish."

Sokka saw the fish, its bright scales mirroring the light of the sun. With a speed that he had taught himself, Sokka reached into the water, dipping the sharp edge of the spear.

"AHA!"

Sokka caught nothing.

The Mechanist was amazed. "That was astounding! I should have thought of that!"

Sokka was annoyed. "That wasn't it! I'll try again! And _this_ time, I'll get us some fish!"

Sokka jabbed his spear into the water again—this time with much force.

The warrior finally caught something.

Sokka's spear got wedged in ice.

The Mechanist clapped his hands. "Brilliant! You're a genius!"

Sokka wasn't listening. He just continued jabbing the water, trying to spear the fish. He did it again and again like a crazy child. His eyes were wild, but his effort was futile.

Suddenly, Sokka heard some shuffling sound and turned to the Mechanist. The old man was holding a sort of miniaturized cannon. "Are you going to blast them dead?"

The Mechanist smiled at him. "Not quite, my boy."

The man pulled a cord and suddenly, something shot out of the end and dipped into the water. It was a net. The net was still attached to the small cannon by a rope.

In the water, Sokka could see that the net had closed on three pieces of fish. All the Mechanist had to do was turn the crank on the small cannon to wheel it all in. "This way, you can catch more fish," said the Mechanist. "I like you method, though."

Sokka felt steam coming out of his ears. In a burst of fury, he grabbed the Mechanist's mini-cannon and threw it into the distance. The Mechanist was stunned. He turned to Sokka and saw that the boy was raising a spear in his face.

"_WE DO IT MY WAY! SPEAR-FISHING ONLY!_"

The Mechanist raised his hands in defeat. "Okay. Okay. Calm down, son…"

Sokka turned to the water and raised his hands into the air. "BY THE END OF THE DAY, THERE WILL BE NO FISH IN THESE WATERS!"

.

o0o

.

By the end of the day, all the fish were gathering around Sokka's kayak to mock him. Sokka had given up the fight and slipped onto the kayak's wooden floor, tired out. "_Fish… Fish… Must have fish…_"

The Mechanist's energy had not been spent at all. Instead of lying on the kayak, the Mechanist waved happily at the fish below him, smiling and twinkling his fingers. The fish were certainly afraid.

Sokka sat up. "That's it… I give up…It'll be hard to find the Water Tribe at night… Let's go home…"

"I'll set up the engine—"

"No!" Sokka protested angrily. "No engines now! We go home by paddle!"

Sokka took out his paddle and gave the Mechanist one too. The two started rowing eastward. Above them, the southern lights illuminated the sky. Winter was approaching and the six months of sunlight were quickly fading away. It was upon this scenario that Sokka remembered something.

"It was just like this…" Sokka whispered.

The Mechanist heard him. "What was just like this…?"

Sokka pointed to the many icebergs that surrounded them. "This was exactly how we found Aang in that iceberg a year ago. We were fishing the same way we did today. But one of the many currents pulled us away. Our kayak broke apart when we hit this iceberg. Katara Waterbended and this huge sphere of ice popped onto the surface. Aang was inside this iceberg of course. And so was Appa…" Sokka paused for a moment. "That was a long time ago…"

The Mechanist gave him a soft pat on the back. "Memories can be saddening."

Sokka smiled at the Mechanist and looked down. He was still bothered when he saw the Mechanist's legs in bandages. He supposed now was the right time to ask the question. "Why did you break your legs?"

The Mechanist managed a dry laugh. "It was an experiment. I told you that."

Sokka shrugged. "Care to give some details?"

The Mechanist sighed. "It was an afterthought, really… After the war, I continued to help Teo take to the sky in his glider-chair… But a glider can stay in the air for only so long… It was then that I decided to work on my next project…"

Sokka leaned forward. "Well…?"

The Mechanist smiled at him and whispered. "_Artifiical Airbending…_"

Sokka leaned back. "What?"

The Mechanist smiled. "Not really Airbening, but a way to keep the glider in the air for a much longer time. I've watched Aang Airbend on his glider a couple of times and I learned that aside from the shape of the glider's wings, another key factor to fly was moving air. A glider cannot move forward on its own, you see. It needs air to move past it."

"Did you find a way to do that?" asked Sokka.

The Mechanist shook his head. "My first trials were failures. I tried imitating the birds and fashioned some wings for my arms. I flapped my wings and jumped off a cliff—and as you can see…" he said pointing at his broken legs. "It didn't work quite well…"

Sokka smiled. "But you didn't give up, did you?"

The man laughed. "Of course not!" The Mechanist pointed at the miniaturized engine that was rigged on Sokka's kayak. "I designed that engine when I realized that human muscles were not strong enough to lift man's body. But of course, there were more problems. The paddlewheel did not push much air and even though the engine was smaller than anything in existence, it was too heavy to lift the glider. The problem, I realized, was not with the engine, but with the paddlewheel. I need to replace it with something that can bring in more air past the wings."

Sokka nodded, digesting all of these things. "Maybe you should just try a paddle. That should push a lot of air." But Sokka was only joking.

The Mechanist laughed. "Good one!"

But then, when Sokka stopped paddling, he realized that they had a big problem.

They had gotten themselves lost.

.

.

**Earth Kingdom Village, Medicine Hut (a day ago)**

"_I'm so sorry, Katara…_"

A small slit of light poured through Katara's raw senses. She should have shut her eyes had not a hand grasped her very own. Katara kept her eyes opened for a bit. As she did so, she listened and felt the beating of her own heart. It was still beating. Her lungs were indeed rising and falling. She was alive.

Katara's face crumpled in a fit of anguish.

She couldn't stop the sobs.

Despite her knowledge of her life, she felt agony all over her body and tears forced themselves out of shut eyes. Her teeth were shut together and anyone who looked at her could see that she was in a clear feeling of tremendous pain.

And the hand on hers squeezed tighter.

Katara stopped herself. She detached herself from her thoughts, ignoring the pain and the burning feelings within her lungs. Air. She needed to breathe.

Katara opened her eyes and saw Aang, sitting beside her. She was on a cot. A blanket had been placed over her and the hair on her face was ruffled. She looked at Aang, but Aang would not look at her. He turned away, feeling pained. Tears. They were running down his cheeks.

"_D-Did you save me…?_" Katara gasped.

A woman walked in and was shocked to see Katara stirring. Immediately, she draped a wet towel on her forehead. "Are you alright, child?" she asked.

Katara turned to her. "_A-A bit…_"

The woman smiled warmly at her. "You're one lucky soul… Why, if it wasn't for the Avatar, we would have lost you."

Katara looked at Aang. The boy remained silent, grasping her hand. "_What h-happened to me…?_"

The woman shook her head. "We're not sure. The Avatar said that he found you unconscious. Apparently, you were short of breath. He brought you here last night to see if I could help, but I couldn't figure out the problem. Somehow, you couldn't breathe. The Avatar…well he…he placed some air back in…"

Katara used her free hand to touch her chest. She was breathing fine. Bandages had been placed around her to brace her and prevent her from straining. The woman bent low to take away the towel. "I'll be back with another warmer one." And she left immediately.

Katara pushed her head back onto the pillow, allowing her to tilt her head and look at Aang. "_I-I'm so proud of you…_"

Aang used a hand to wipe his tears away. "_Well, you shouldn't…_"

Katara was distressed.

"_I should have been there… I should have prevented this from happening…_"

"_But y-you didn't know, Aang… You didn't know…_"

"_**I should have**__!_"

Silence.

"_All this cosmic power for nothing! I couldn't stop it, Katara! All these people—they believe that I killed a man! They believed that I sucked the air out of him! I keep hearing it and hearing it until I feel that I did it! It's just __**too much**__!_

"_And I couldn't save you… I should have, but I didn't… And now, other people now… They think that I attacked you too…_

"_Now, more and more people will lose their trust on me… If no one trusts in their Avatar, then I have truly failed…_"

And Aang released his grip on Katara. He stood up and walked towards the window, facing away. Katara turned to him from her bed.

"_I'm so proud of you…_"

Aang didn't seem to listen.

"_Look at you… You were a normal Airbender once, in a time of great peace… Suddenly, people tell you that you're the Avatar and they placed this big destiny over your head. You ran away to escape from it all, wanting not to change things…You were forced to grow up fast, to watch as the many people you once loved die and disappear… And then, you set out to impossibly change the world… You saw things no person should ever see—experienced things no child should ever go through… You've suffered and you toiled… The odds were always against you…_

"_But here you are… A boy, no older than 12, showing the world your strength, seeking out to save his friends, his loved ones, and all the other faceless people you've never met and the others who despise you… You saved the world, Aang…_

"_And today, you saved me…_"

Katara forced herself to sit up. She did. And when she was ready, she was going to make the walk towards Aang and reach out to him. But as she stood, her knees wobbled and her body jerked.

Her balance gave way and Katara was ready to fall.

But Aang caught her.

And for a moment, they just stared at each other. Katara was the one with tears in her eyes. Aang was strong for her—but he was relaxed now—comforted.

Aang hugged her, careful not to add more pain on her body.

Katara hugged him back. "_Thank you, Aang…_"

.

o0o

.

By afternoon, Katara had recuperated long enough to stand and walk. She was breathing normally now, thanks to Aang. The nurse told Katara to rest for a while until she allowed her to leave. Aang had gone outside to check on Appa and Momo. When Aang returned, he was carrying a piece of paper. Also, a messenger hawk was perched on his shoulder.

"What's that?" asked Katara.

"It's a letter from Zuko," said Aang. The Airbender looked at the note again. "I'll explain everything when you're released. I'll also send out a bunch of other letters…" And then Aang realized something. "Shouldn't Sokka be with you?"

Katara shook her head. "He didn't want to come, but he says hi."

Aang smiled. After this, the Avatar began writing on two pieces of paper. One would be sent to Sokka and the other one would be for Toph. He would need two messenger birds. Hopefully, they would get the message in time.

.

.

**South Pole, Fishing grounds (present time)**

"How can you _not know_ where you live?" shrieked the Mechanist.

Sokka was scratching his head. "It's a hard place to find, okay… Let's just paddle."

The Mechanist tried to imitate Sokka's paddling motion. He curved the paddle slightly to allow the oar to push back a lot of water without causing him to slow down. He mastered it quite well and realized that it worked a lot better than his paddlewheel engine ever could.

A paddle.

Curving the paddle while rowing.

Pushing great amounts of water without slowing down.

And suddenly, everything began to fall into place.

"Sokka! You're a GENIUS!"

Sokka turned around to face the Mechanist. "Are you hungry? Maybe I should try again and catch more fish."

The Mechanist shook his head. "No. No. It's the paddle! That's the answer for everything!"

Sokka looked at his paddle. "There's no map on it. I doubt it will lead us home."

The Mechanist grabbed the paddle from Sokka's hand and started rowing in the water, angling it slightly to allow the kayak to move. "Look, Sokka! Look! Can't you see?"

Sokka tapped his chin. "You're rowing is pretty nice…"

"No! It's the way the paddle slices through the water! It's brilliant! A paddlewheel is flat and it cannot push much water past it, making movement slow. But if you had something similar to the airship's propellers—something like a paddle, but longer and more angled, you could have something that could push a glider and overcome the engine's weight! It's that simple!"

Sokka had drool dripping from the edge of his lip. "Can you repeat that?"

"A paddle—WHOA!"

A current suddenly caught hold of their little kayak and started moving them farther out to sea. Sokka grabbed his paddle back. "We need to row faster!"

The Mechanist didn't argue. He began rowing and paddling—sometimes a little bit of both. And then, a strange calm went over him and dropped his act altogether. Sokka saw this.

"_What_ are you doing? Keep paddling!"

The Mechanist raised his hands into the air. "This is perfect!"

"_What now?_"

"You said that this was exactly how you found the Avatar, right?" asked the Mechanist. He was so sure of himself. "You also said that a current had pulled your kayak into a bunch of icebergs. It's all happening again!"

Sokka thought the Mechanist had finally lost it. "Stop talking! Steer!"

The Mechanist was pretty excited. "Oooh! Maybe I'll meet the new Avatar…or another Airbender! It's so exciting! And here comes the icebergs now!"

Their little kayak smashed into the oncoming blocks of ice. Sokka was powerless to stop the flow and could only shield himself and yelp. Behind him, the Mechanist was cheering and shouting. When the kayak smashed onto the ice, Sokka and the Mechanist were forced onto the ice slab while their little kayak was reduced into sinking pieces.

The Mechanist was ecstatic. "This is it! We're about to see the next Airbender!"

Sokka crawled to the edge of the ice to look at what had become of his boat. The boat had become nothing. Sokka reached for a piece of wood and placed it on his face. He rubbed it with his hand the same way a mother would to a child. "_Goodbye, boat…_"

The Mechanist was still jumping enthusiastically. "Alright! We went through the current! Our boat got smashed into bit! All we need now is for the Avatar to appear—!"

"—would you stop it! This is—!"

The Mechanist pointed to a nearby iceberg and tugged Sokka's fur colar. "Go, Sokka! Do it now!

"Waterbend the ice!"

Silence.

Silence.

Sokka raised a questioning brow at the Mechanist.

"I'm not a Waterbender…"

The Mechanist's face seemed to have frozen, retaining his awful smile. But his grip was lost and Sokka slumped onto the ice.

.

o0o

.

"_IF YOU HADN'T STOPPED PADDLING, WE WOULDN'T HAVE SMASHED MY KAYAK ON THE ICE!!_" Sokka shouted, sulking in one corner of their little ice slab.

The Mechanist bantered back. "_If you hadn't thrown my net-shooter, we could be eating cooked fish right now!_"

The two had been stranded on their little slab of ice until the sun went low in the sky. The southern lights hung over them like dancing candles among the stars. They also looked like illuminated curtains that had draped themselves among the heavens. The two stranded people had been too busy arguing to notice this.

And then, the Mechanist shouted.

"FOOD!"

Sokka's sulking stopped and he was forced to look at the Mechanist. In his hands was a frozen bird—a meal. Sokka's eyes went wide and an intense rumbling overcame him. The Mechanist smiled at Sokka. "Do you want to share?"

Sokka rubbed his hands together. "Of course! Of course!"

Sokka procured some stones from his pocket. The young warrior was skilled in the art of fire-making. With some pieces of wood he had salvaged from his kayak, Sokka quickly set up a fire. He scratched the stones against each other. A spark jumped onto the wet wood but it didn't light. It took Sokka a few more trials before the wood was dry enough to light. When he was done, Sokka and the Mechanist was ready to eat.

"Wait!" said the Mechanist as he touched the bird.

Sokka was more than irritated. "_WHAT NOW_?"

The Mechanist poked around the bird's feathers. Something hard and cylindrical had caught his attention. Yes. There was something else on this bird. It was a messenger hawk and a small carrier tube was on its back. The Mechanist pulled out a message that seemed to have frozen over time. He read it once and turned to Sokka.

"It's for you."

.

.

**North Pole, the Northern Water Tribe**

A big celebration was being held at the Northern Water Tribe. The Sea Wall that had always marked the opening of the city had been removed so ships from different nations could dock. But this time was different. This time, all the other fishing ships had been moved away. The gondolas and canals were ready. A few royals had assembled at the icy shore to greet the newest and most respected guest. Chief Arnook was standing in front of the huge ironclad warship just to show his greetings.

War Minister Qin stepped down to greet him.

"My, my, my…what a fine city you have here, chief. A lot of white for my taste, but it is a beautiful sight."

Chief Arnook smiled and shook his hand. "What took you so long? We were worried sick you might not come?"

Qin smiled. "There were a lot of important matters to attend to. In two days time, the rest of the fleet should arrive to carry your goods to the rest of the world."

Chief Arnook bowed. "Very good. And like any other honored guest that arrives at our fair city, we will host a large banquet just for you and your troops."

Qin showed a slight apprehension—an acted apprehension. "A banquet? For us? Are you sure, Chief Arnook? We have our own galley onboard our ships."

Chief Arnook waved him off. "Nonsense! As brethren to our Tribe, it is custom that our guest deserve the finest of food from our Water Tribe. Prepare your men, Minister. Tonight, we will feast!"

.

o0o

.

The feast had been very nice, to say the least. Food piled as far as the table ran, and the scenic location made the evening great. Even the Waterbending performers were good—a touch of culture from the north. As soon as the announcements had been made, the group feasted. And after they feasted, they prepared for rest.

But War Minister Qin was not ready to sleep. Tonight, he had plans.

The Minister approached a soldier. He whispered as they stood beside each other. "_Have you found the location of the Spirit Oasis?_"

The soldier stopped walking and whispered back. "_We've captured a few of their men. They told us that the Oasis is just behind the Tribe Hall, past the wooden post._"

Qin smiled. "_Very good. But we do not strike yet. Two more days. That's all the time we have left before Zhao sends the message. I hope your fleet of ships are on their way, Captain…_"

"_They are, sir._"

"_They better be._"

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.

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_Sorry for the late update people. I just had a long weekend and I had to go home. I couldn't type back home. Anyway, hope this satisfies your long and impatient wait. I think this is my longest chapter yet. __Hope you liked the Kataang moment too. I couldn't make them kiss, though._

_._

_For energybending124, the reason why Azula can Energybend is because Zhao gave it to her. The backstory is that Zhao got it in the spirit world. The way Aang got Energybending from a giant spiritual Lion Turtle is the way Azula got it through a spiritually empowered Zhao._

_._

_Expect another delay before the next chapter comes up, but it will get very interesting even then. Toph's story will be pretty good—and remember, I'm in the business of making minor characters really badass._

_._

_Reviews. Questions. Constructive Flames. And the occasional out-of-place comment would be nice._

_._

_Zhao's plans are a 'two-parter', for the information of the readers._

_._

_Thank you for reading thus far—Kojab8890_


	9. Chapter 9: The Black Card

Author's Note: I was able to scrap a dozen few ideas together to make this story

_Author's Note: I was able to scrap a dozen few ideas together to make this story. I doubt it will stand to scrutiny and most of the details could be easily dismissed by a number of fans. But this (and many others) is a tribute to Avatar, the Last Airbender. This story is a continuation on my own terms and what I believe could happen. Thank you for reading so far and I'll keep typing. This is for you, Avatar! I hope to see other similar works in the near future._

_Disclaimer: I own no part of Avatar, the Last Airbender. But this story and this plot is entirely of my own creation. Any similarities to the official Avatar plotline are mere coincidences or are used for necessary events in the story. The same goes with the characters and settings._

Book 4

_Air_

Chapter nine:

The Black Card

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**Ba Sing Se, Upper Ring, Jasmine Dragon tea shop**

It was afternoon in the face of the Earth Kingdom. General Iroh, an esteemed general of the Fire Nation who had once decided to break the walls of this city. Now, here he was. His life had been reciprocated and he was serving tea to the Earth King's esteemed advisers. And along with the advisers came their daughter—Iroh's favorite customer.

Toph raised her hand happily. "_More tea, please._" Her accent was cultured and well pronounced. It was so different to see her now. She was civil and controlled—unlike everything else Iroh had seen.

Iroh bowed low. "It would be my pleasure."

The man raised a white tea jar and dipped it slowly. The warm air of tea wafted into Toph's nose. The aroma was more than pleasant. It was vibrant and amazing. With two hands, she held the cup of tea lightly. She raised it to her mouth and sipped silently.

The tea—its texture on her tongue—was exquisite. Its warmth brightened her cheeks. She let the liquid flow down her throat.

Toph paused for a moment to inhale.

"_WHOOEEE! That was goooood tea!_"

Iroh and her parents stopped and stared at her. For a moment, all they could do was watch Toph gulp down more and more tea. And then—

Then, they started laughing.

It was always like this during their little tea parties. There was a time for culture and another time for good humor. Her father always insisted that Toph sneeze tea out of her nose, but Toph decided against it. The humor was always kept light.

Essentially, these were good days.

And like all of Toph's good days, they were on the mid-week. This time, Iroh did not fail to prepare them good reservations. Like all of their visits, the Jasmine Dragon had been reserved only for the Bei Fong family and Iroh played the Sunghi horn after all the tea had been served. But since Iroh had failed to deliver the last time, the old war general allowed them to stay much longer and, of course, there was more tea.

Toph favored the company quite well.

"So the Fire Lord is your nephew… _Extraordinary_," spoke Toph's mother, dying to catch up with the events.

"Fire Lord Zuko comes in from time to time. He's been sending me much good news," spoke Iroh proudly.

"So I've heard," said Mister Bei Fong. "There are big changes going around the Fire Nation. The Earth king has asked me a lot of things concerning assistance to the Fire Nation. It's just amazing that a man of his age could lead such a country—a country that has been more torn apart than any other nation in the world."

Iroh smiled and waved his hand, telling them no. "Fire Lord Zuko needs no assistance. I fully believe in his capabilities. More tea?"

The mother reached forward with her empty cup. "Yes, _please_."

"And what about the news about a rogue Airbender? Have you heard anything like it? A bender with the ability to suck the air right out of you. I'm not sure how to handle such things."

Toph leaned forward. She did not hear much about this, but when she did, she was always reminded about Aang. What was he doing now?

Iroh looked at them firmly. "Frankly, I don't believe in such things. A surviving Airbender other than the Avatar is quite ridiculous. And I've heard of those rumors too. They're just rumors to me—nothing more."

Toph's mother dabbed a napkin on her lips. "But what if this _isn't_ a new Airbender. What if—?"

"Are you considering that the Avatar did this?" Iroh asked, finishing her sentence.

_That's exactly what I'm thinking…_ thought Toph. She wanted to speak up, but knew that it wasn't her place to interrupt such heated conversation.

Iroh shook his head. "I've met the Avatar before. He was a nice young boy—capable of such great good. If the Avatar is involved in this, I can tell you now that he is trying to _solve_ the crime—not start it."

Toph took a sip of her tea.

She wasn't so sure.

And then, the sound of organized steps came from directly outside the tea shop. Toph could feel them. These were the Royal guards of the palace. With this realization, Toph gave a loud sigh that blew the bangs of her on her face.

These guards usually approached the Bei Fong family to call upon her father. As royal adviser to the king, Toph's father responded to whenever the king needed his advice. That meant that the whole family had to be brought home and the father had to go back to work. Their pleasant afternoon tea party had just been sunk.

A lone Royal guard stepped forward, hands on his back. He looked at Toph's father and announced. "_Sir, the Earth King is calling upon you for advice. He requests your participation right away._"

The father turned to his daughter. Even though his daughter was blind, it looked like Toph was staring right at him, pleading him not to go this once and just finish up their lovely tea party. Toph's father was now faced with a difficult decision: his duties as adviser or his duties as father.

Mister Bei Fong turned to the guard. "I will attend—"

Toph slumped in her seat.

"—when I am done with this lovely tea."

Toph's heart rose. A quirky smile played on her face. And if Toph's eyes could brighten, she would have done so. She reached out and hugged her father on the neck.

"I love you, dad."

Her father smiled. She placed his face in Toph's hair, smelling the sweet scent of lilies. "_Love you too…_" he mumbled.

The guard was clearly vexed. "But sir! These orders come directly from the Earth King! If you do not go immediately, you could—"

"Didn't you hear?" said Toph's mother firmly. "My husband will finish his tea _and only then_ will he go." And she moved to embrace them.

"You cannot disobey the Earth King's rules!" spoke the royal guard angrily. "When he asks the royal adviser to come, it is his duty to—"

Iroh blocked his path towards the hugging family. "I'm afraid that royal guards are no longer accepted in my tea shop." And then, he added, "But would you like some tea before you go?"

Two more guards came from behind him and stood beside the royal guard, their hands on their backs. A look of ferocity was in their eyes. Somehow, the adviser's negligence complicated their day. The lead royal guard pointed to Toph's father.

"_SIEZE THEM!_"

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o0o

.

Those severe words cut short whatever happy moment Toph was feeling. She jammed her feet onto the ground, feeling what they were about to do. The problem was, these guards had caught her unprepared. What they were about do next was anybody's guess.

The leader of the royal guard shot out his open hands in the direction of Toph's father—revealing earthen gloves. These gloves launched and immediately grabbed hold of the father's wrists and bound them together, rendering him powerless.

Iroh was already moving, but was too slow for any purpose. A second royal guard launched some metal manacles that immediately grabbed hold of the Firebender's wrists. The royal guard pulled him to his feet and bound him up with more metal, making sure the man could not bend.

It was then that Toph realized whom she was dealing with.

These were Dai Li agents—disguised as Royal Guards.

Toph was ready to strike. But somehow, the third Dai Li agent was faster. With surprise at his side, the agent launched his own set of manacles that gripped onto Toph's wrists and pulled her to the floor. Her mother had no time to gasp.

But Toph was ready to use some wit. "I'm sorry guys…but I learned a few tricks…"

Toph reached out to crush the steel chains that bound her. She would use Metalbending to break free and fight back. She had won against these men before and she would do it again.

But when she grasped the chains, she realized she could not "see" or bend them. These chains were made of wood.

"_Hey! What's the big deal?_"

Another set of wooden manacles caught Toph on the ankles and Toph was suspended above ground. They even placed a wooden brace on her neck to prevent any other means of escape.

"_Let—me—go!_"

But Toph's struggles were futile. She could not move. She could not bend. All she could do was to listen to the drumming of someone else's footsteps coming her way.

"A friend of mine told me that you had somehow found a way to overcome metal when you entered into a large metallic bunker. So these chains should keep you down for the time being. After all, who ever heard of an Earthbender who could bend wood?" said Long Feng.

Toph tried to reach out for the man's neck. "_When I get out of here, I'm going to strangle you!_"

"Threats cannot injure, Miss Bei Fong," said the ex-adviser. He then turned to the disguised Dai Li agents. "Take them to the carriage. I will be riding with them shortly."

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o0o

.

The Ostrich-horse driven carriage was made entirely out of wood. Even if Toph managed to break out of her wooden binds, she would not be able to bend anything. Iroh was placed in another carriage that followed right behind them. The whole Bei Fong family was placed in the first with Long Feng riding with them.

As the carriages pulled along, Mister Bei Fong glared at Long Feng. "I've heard of you. You were the adviser before me. You used the Earth King as a figurehead. You manipulated the Earth Kingdom!"

Long Feng stared nonchalantly at his nails. "Those were the good-old days. But by tomorrow, the Earth Kingdom will be back under my control. The good days will return…"

Toph's father would not take this. "They will find us, you know? We are important men!"

Long Feng laughed. "Do you honestly believe that you will survive through this? Tonight, all three of you will be left to drown in Lake Laogai. You will not speak about any of this to anyone."

"They will find us!" shouted Mister Bei Fong. "They will find our bodies! And when they do, they will know it is you who murdered us!"

Another laugh came from Long Feng. "Don't be so certain. You see, I had staged everything perfectly. The old Firebender with the tea shop will be blamed for your murder. He has poisoned you and he dumped your dead bodies into the lake. He will also commit suicide since murder is too much for an old man to bear. He will drown himself in the lake. When they find the killer and your bodies, they will know not to trust the royal Fire Nation patrons that have lived in Ba Sing Se. There will be mistrust. By tomorrow, I will be Earth King."

Suddenly, a knock came from the carriage driver.

Long Feng turned to him. "Do we have a problem?"

The carriage driver pointed. Long Feng followed the finger's direction. He could see that something was trailing alongside their carriage. It was the other carriage—the one that held Iroh.

But the carriage had been overrun. Iroh was free, waving at them.

And another group of people had taken control of the carriage.

The Duke was steering the carriage. Longshot was standing atop the carriage, aiming an arrow at Long Feng. Smellerbee was hanging from behind the carriage, waving her daggers.

The Freedom Fighters were on the rise.

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o0o

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Long Feng turned to the carriage driver. "Move faster! Lose them at once!"

The carriage driver whipped harder, urging the Ostrich horse to run faster. The animal quickened its pace and began to create dust clouds behind it. The Duke saw their sudden increase of speed and whipped his carriage to move faster too. They were on a roll now. Everything was head to head.

It was a carriage chase like no other.

Smellerbee, who was hanging from behind, saw an approaching group of men from the distance. "Faster! The Dai Li agents that we just threw out are closing in on us!"

The Dai Li agents were indeed on their tail, using the earth to move faster. Some were dressed in royal guard clothing and others were dressed in Dai Li clothing. But whatever clothing they had on, they were still a menacing sight.

The two carriages rounded every corner of the city's tight alleys. Locals who were watching the scene were slightly curious.

"_You never see that everyday…_" said one.

An old man bluffed. "_I see that everyday…_"

"_Really?_" asked another.

"_Oh yes…_"

Back to the carriage chase.

The Duke was able to land their carriage right beside the other carriage again. Iroh took this moment to send a bright burst of fire to disorient the carriage driver. The carriage driver accidentally moved his carriage to the left, scraping the wooden structure on the stone walls of the houses.

Long Feng was violent. "_STAY FOCUSED!_"

Longshot aimed at the carriage driver, keeping his sight on the man. He released the taut string from his fashioned bow and the arrow shot straight and true. The arrowhead caught the carriage driver's shoulder sleeve and sent him flying off his seat. The man was pinned to a stone wall.

"Good shot!" praised the Duke. The other carriage now had no driver.

_Whizzz…_

_Whizzz…_

_Whizzz…_

Three dark objects shot right by them. Smellerbee looked at the Dai Li and realized that they were firing swift spikes of rock towards them. "_They're shooting at us!_" she cried.

Longshot turned to the rear to face his new opponents. Four Dai Li agents had moved forward to head the assault. The young archer pulled three arrows from his holder and stretched them on the bow. He held the bow horizontally, waiting for them to make the strike.

The four Dai Li agents stopped in their tracks and lifted stones from the ground. With massive force, they shot four large boulders at their carriage.

Longshot released his arrows.

The arrows strike was dead-on stopping the rocks from moving any further.

Longshot grabbed four more arrows and shot them. This time, they caught the four Dai Li agents on their sleeves and pinned them to the ground.

Smellerbee gave Longshot a thumbs-up. "Nice job."

Longshot lowered his bow and nodded.

.

o0o

.

Long Feng watched as his reinforcements decimated before him. The archer had forced them to delay. The Dai Li would take a much longer time to catch up with them now. But there was a more pressing concern.

No one was controlling their carriage.

"We're going to die!" shrieked Toph's mother as the carriage careened to the right and left.

Suddenly, a giant who had been waiting on one of the many rooftops, jumped right onto the carriage, rattling the wooden cart. The Ostrich horse nearly lost control. Luckily, Pipsqueak grabbed the reigns and began to steer. "Whoa, there! Nice and easy, now!"

Pipsqueak and the Duke aligned the two carriages together and Smellerbee was able to jump onto the other. She immediately pulled herself into the carriage and pointed a pointy blade at Long Feng. "Don't even try anything," she ordered.

Toph laughed with bluster. "Ha! Long Feng loses again! You really have a horrible losing streak, dude. You should just quit while you're behind."

Long Feng was silent, his face still fierce, but sweat trickled down his face. He had been outsmarted yet again! The Dai Li would be no help now.

He had lost.

.

o0o

.

When the carriage chase had stopped, the Dai Li watched from a safe distance. They would not go near now. Too many people were gathering around the carriages. Toph and the rest of the Bei Fong family were released from their binds. Mister Bei Fong had the pleasure of placing the metal shackles on Long Feng.

"That should hold you," spoke Toph's dad with a small smile.

Iroh caught up to them. "We must warn the Earth King immediately. There could be others who could overthrow him."

Mister Bei Fong nodded. "You're right. We have to go."

"That was pretty good steering," said Toph to Pipsqueak. "How did you guys even know Long Feng was going to attack us?"

The Duke stuck a thumb at Longshot and Smellerbee. "They found us a few days ago," he said. "They told us what would happen and we staged an ambush. You were lucky they were around."

Toph smiled. "Thanks, you guys."

Long Feng was still struggling to break free. "You can't win! We planned this out to the tiniest detail!"

Toph's mother shut him up with a swat of her fan.

Toph smiled. "Nice one, mom."

_Whizzz…_

_Whizzz…_

Two arrows landed right before them. They appeared instantly—like something out of thin air. Iroh barred their path. "Stop!" Iroh ordered. He saw that the arrows came from behind them. When he looked at the rooftops that were spread out from behind them, he could see that there were dozens of red archers, all aiming their arrows right at them. Red markings were painted on their faces.

They were all surrounded.

Long Feng smiled as he saw them. "The cavalry has arrived."

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o0o

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Toph could hear the tautness of their bows. Then, she could hear them release their shots. Toph quickly shot her hands to the sides, raising a massive wall from beneath the ground. The arrows stopped on the earthen structure.

Toph thought she had stopped them, but these archers were constantly moving. They jumped from one rooftop to the other, finding a way to shoot past the earth wall Toph had placed up.

Mister Bei Fong was terribly frightened. "Who _are those_ men?"

Iroh looked at their markings. "They're Yu Yan archers—the deadliest archers in the Fire Nation. Their precision is legendary," he narrated. "We have to find shelter immediately! _The carriages!_"

Their group started to move. Pipsqueak held onto Long Feng, dragging the man along. All around them, arrows started to rain down. Toph and Iroh provided protection by deflecting their shots with rocks and flame. Their little group backed up to only one of the carriages. Their chances of escape were slimming.

Toph was one of the last to get in. Her family hugged her as she reached inside. Longshot and Pipsqueak were on the driver's seat, protecting both the Ostrich horse and themselves. Smellerbee and the Duke were the last to get in. But their prisoner, Long Feng, and Iroh had no more space for seating.

"We can all fit!" proclaimed Toph's mother. "Toph will sit on my lap and the girl with the daggers can sit on—"

Iroh strongly opposed. "No! Leave both of us behind!"

Toph would not stand for that. "No! You can't!"

The pattering sound of arrows resonated all over the carriage. Pipsqueak knocked on the top of the carriage. "Guys…we gotta go now… It's raining out here…"

Iroh kept to his word. "Long Feng can be left behind. With the metal on his body, it will take him quite some time before he can catch up to you. As for me, I have to get to the Earth King—to warn him. You people have to head past the Outer Wall, beyond Ba Sing Se. The Earth Kingdom capital is no longer safe!"

And before any one of them could protest, Iroh began running. He left Long Feng on the ground, squirming. From what they could see, Iroh was running quickly—faster than the arrows could catch up to him.

And as they shut the door, Pipsqueak whipped the Ostrich horse to move. They were fleeing from Ba Sing Se—heading straight for the Yu Yan archers.

.

o0o

.

Iroh kept his pace steady, not minding the aching muscles that told him to stop. He hoped that he had run far enough to be out of range from the archers.

_Whizzz…_

Apparently, he didn't run far enough.

Looking back, Iroh caught sight of two arrows headed straight for him. With a wave of his hand, a curve of fire deflected these arrows and forced them on the ground. Iroh went back to running.

And he would have kept running.

But rows of Dai Li agents barred his path.

Iroh stopped dead and sighed disappointedly. "_HOW MANY TIMES MUST I SAVE BA SING SE?_"

And just as the Dai Li launched hundreds of sharp boulders his way, Iroh Firebended a large swirling mass of fire that enveloped him. When the boulders shot past and the fire cleared, the Dai Li realized that their quarry had confused them and Iroh had slipped away, unnoticed.

.

o0o

.

The thundering footsteps of the Ostrich horse should have told anyone to step out of the way. Most of them did, but some of the merchants weren't paying attention. One of those merchants was an estranged cabbage merchant who had placed his cabbage cart right onto the path of the animal.

"_Look out, merchant! An Ostrich horse is headed right for your cart!_"

It was on this note that the cabbage merchant turned to see the chaos that was coming right for him and the impending doom that was about to befall his cabbages.

And just as the Ostrich horse and its carriage came, the merchant quickly turned his cart parallel to the Ostrich horse's direction. A gust of wind and the noise of footsteps rushed past him. One of his cabbages nearly fell to the ground. The cabbage merchant was lucky enough to catch it. Also, he had caught a glimpse of the carriage's riders. The Bei Fong family was well-known in these parts and he began to wonder why they were being chased.

Above him, on the rooftops, the merchant saw dozens of red archers move swiftly, like agile cats. Red. These were Fire Nation people. That was already a bad sign.

And then, following these red archers, the cabbage merchant saw dozens of Dai Li agents coming towards him and his cart. He knew that these agents were also bad people and their leader was even worse. It was this leader that was before him.

"_Get out of the way, merchant!_"

For the first time in his life, the merchant stood his ground, knowing that it was his time to defend. "Stop or I will hit you!" he shouted shakily.

Long Feng chuckled. "You? A merchant? Hit me with _what_?"

The merchant placed his right foot on his cart and pushed it forcefully towards them.

"_MY CABBAGES!_" came the merchant's battle cry.

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o0o

.

Long Feng swung his fist upward. A giant pillar of earth sent the cabbage cart flying into the air—the cabbages flew off. For a moment, the merchant felt greatly disappointed that he did absolutely nothing to stop these people.

But then, the falling cabbages landed on their heads. Long Feng had a huge green vegetable on his head.

The cabbage merchant raised his hands triumphantly and yipped. "YES!"

.

o0o

.

The carriage raced towards the Middle Ring Wall. Since the end of the war, the Earth king had placed in new tunnels within the walls so people could have easy access in between the capital's divisions. That was their ticket out of here. That was their means of escape.

But then, two Yu Yan archers jumped right in front of the carriage and started shooting arrows at them. Pipsqueak was forced to pull hard on the reigns. The entire carriage came to a sudden stop that jarred everyone off their seats. The sudden stop forced the carriage to fall on its side.

And the Yu Yan archers encircled the carriage, shooting more and more arrows until the ground was filled with sticking shots. The carriage appeared to be covered in hair. Pipsqueak and Longshot barricaded themselves with Pipsqueak's large log.

Inside the carriage, panic was rising.

"_What do we do?_" was the small whisper of Toph's mother.

Smellerbee considered their options. "We'll have to wait until they lose arrows. They can't keep shooting forever. So, for the time being, we'll have to stay here."

The Duke peered over the carriage's window. When he came back to face them, an arrow was sticking onto his helmet.

"_Guys…_ _I think they're coming closer…_"

More "whizzes" could be heard all around them. From the window, they could see that arrows were now coming inside—meaning that the archers were indeed getting closer. It was time to face facts. Probably, in a few seconds, they would have arrows piercing through their necks.

But Toph was one to oppose death.

She shot out of the carriage, through the window, and landed hard on the ground. Before any archer could shoot her, Toph raised a circular wall that encompassed the carriage. The arrows stopped cold and Toph had enough time to think. With another hard step of her feet, she raised the carriage back on its wheels. The whole thing was upright again.

Toph then moved to the side facing the Middle Ring. Through her feet, she could sense a large number of archers directly shooting down this side of her barricade.

So Toph kicked that part of the wall.

The slab of earth shot out of the barricade, surprising some archers. Most were not agile enough to clear its path. The slab crushed a few of them.

Toph turned to Longshot and Pipsqueak. "Go, guys! Go!"

Pipsqueak could see that Toph was not going with them. "Get in the carriage or we'll leave you behind!"

Toph looked away and focused on disarming a few archers. "_That's the point!_" she shouted back.

"_I won't leave you alone, Toph!_" shouted her father.

But Toph wasn't listening. "The Duke! Come over here!"

The Duke did as ordered and he jumped to her aid. "What do you need me for?"

Toph grabbed his collar. "Make sure you tell the rest of your little gang to get my parents out of here! I don't want them hurt! As for you, I need you to follow me! I'll need your help with something! But first, make sure that your friends get my family out of here!"

The Duke turned to Pipsqueak and whistled, imitating the sound of a bird. That whistle was almost lost against the sound of pattering arrows striking at all sides. Toph could sense that her earth wall would crumble if she didn't get these people out of here. "_What were you waiting for?_"

Longshot bowed low and whipped the Ostrich horse and the carriage began to move. Toph's parents were reaching out for her. "_No! Toph! Don't go!_" But Toph wouldn't dare stare look at them. She needed to set her mind straight. She had to go back to her estate. Toph had one more thing to pick up.

The blind Earthbender thrust her fists downward and a giant dust cloud rose from underneath. Toph had created a small tunnel and the dust cloud would allow her parents and the others to escape undetected.

She then grabbed the Duke's hand and pulled him in the tunnel. "_Come on!_"

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**Ba Sing Se, Upper Ring, Bei Fong Estate**

Rocks and dirt exploded right out of the estate's backyard. Toph and the Duke crawled out of the hole and rushed towards the estate. As they climbed up the wooden stairs of Toph's house, the Duke built up the courage to finally ask her.

"Why did you want me to come with you?"

Toph pushed open the door to her room and started squandering around for something. "I need you to find this piece of paper with funny ink drawings! I need it before I leave! I can't see where it is or if the paper I'm holding is the one. You have to tell me if I got it or you got it."

The Duke scratched his head. "But I don't know what it looks like. What if I get it wrong?"

Toph began throwing pieces of paper in the air, feeling the texture with her thumb. "It's not hard to miss!" she said. "It's a horrible painting that looks like it was made by a blind girl! It's just here, so come on!"

The Duke began to shuffle through the paper in her room. He then began to wonder why a blind girl would need paper in the first place. But his thoughts about this subject were lost when he caught sight of a grotesque looking painting nailed beside Toph's bed. "I-I think I found it…"

Toph quickly took hold of it and folded it into her pocket. She then grabbed the Duke's hand and pulled him down the stairs. "We've got it! Let's go! I can't make my mom and dad wait any longer… They'll scream when they find out that I went back for a measly piece of paper—so you better not tell anybody! Once we're out of here, I want you to go back to the rest of your little Freedom Fighters and I'll follow soon."

The Duke nodded apprehensively.

But Toph stopped and listened. "There's something in my pigeon hole…"

The Bei Fong family was blessed with all sorts of comforts. One of those was a pigeon hole for each of the Bei Fong family. Toph could tell which one was hers. She could tell that a messenger hawk had come to deliver a message. The Duke went to the bird and procured the message in its case.

Toph was incredibly curious and she asked the Duke to read it for her. "What does it say? Who sent it?"

He turned to Toph. "It's from your friend, Aang."

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**Ba Sing Se, Middle Ring wall, entrance/exit tunnel**

"_Longshot!_" screamed Smellerbee. "_Don't do it!_"

Longshot had jumped off the carriage to provide one last defense before the carriage entered the tunnel. The Yu Yan archers were still closing in on them and if nothing stopped them, they would continue chasing the carriage until the outer wall of Ba Sing Se. So Longshot decided that it was his turn to stand and fight.

"Pipsqueak!" ordered Smellerbee. "Stop the carriage!"

But Longshot turned back to the carriage. He stared at Smellerbee straight in the eyes. Longshot _needed_ to do this. Smellerbee could see that now. There was no stopping a person like Longshot when he had his mind set. The young archer pointed to the light at the end of the tunnel.

"_GO!_" he barked. "_GO!_"

And Smellerbee nodded. The carriage slowly slipped away into the tunnel.

It was now Longshot against the Yu Yan.

Longshot prepared five arrows and pulled on the string of his bow. The archers were headed his way. They weren't stopping and they weren't intimidated by the boy who pretended he could shoot things with that makeshift bow of his.

And Longshot released the string.

Five arrows shot out and pinned five Yu Yan archers to the ground. These archers stopped suddenly, realizing that their newest opponent could properly wield a bow.

They each took out an arrow of their own.

Longshot took out four.

Both released their strings at the same time.

Five shots against a dozen.

On the Yu Yan side, all five of Longshot's arrows missed due to the Yu Yan's superior agility and swift movement. On the side of Longshot, it began to rain arrows. He kneeled on the ground, waiting for the arrows to strike him on the head. Arrows rapidly struck his head—or his large hat for that matter. He used its thickness to act as a shield. Some of the arrows shot through it and sliced through his clothing.

Longshot stood up and pulled two arrows from his container. He placed them on his bow, ready to fire.

The lead Yu Yan archer stood up, signaling the others to lay down their bows and watch as he was about to take out this foolish boy. He prepared only one arrow.

The two archers stared at each other, ready to fire. It was a contest of vigilance and patience. The second to fire would be the victor. So now, it was a watching game. Who would twitch first?

The lead Yu Yan archer shot first.

Longshot fired next, releasing his two arrows.

The Yu Yan archer quickly used his bow as a shield. The two arrows quickly struck the bow's thin width, just as he had planned it. The precision was perfect—unbeatable.

Longshot had been struck in the heart.

The young archer fell back on the ground, clutching the arrow on his chest. He did not gasp for breath or sob or become hysteric. Longshot just fell back on the ground. He looked like he fell asleep. He didn't even seem to spill blood.

The lead Yu Yan archer smiled. This was a simple round.

He then looked into the tunnel and realized that the rest of them had disappeared. There was no way they could follow them. Even if they had eliminated this excuse-for-an-archer, they had failed. The Yu Yan had been defeated by a bunch of kids.

The lead archer walked forward and used his feet to move his head. The boy did not stir. He was definitely dead. There was nothing left for them now. They had to finish the rest of their plans. Tomorrow was the day. Tomorrow, they would win.

And quietly, the Yu Yan archers slipped back into the shadows ready to join the others that were going to instigate tomorrow's plans.

They had been defeated by a young archer and his friends.

And even though the young archer was dead, the smile on his face told the lead Yu Yan archer that he was mocking them of their defeat.

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_This is it! I hoped you liked this chapter as much as I did! : ) if anything, I always wanted the cabbage merchant to use his signature line in a sort of battle cry kind of way. Also, Longshot versus the Yu Yan was always something I wanted to see. I bet if the Avatar animators really created such a scene, Longshot would be totally badass! Go Longshot!_

_The next chapter is the moment I've (and hopefully, 'you've') been waiting for. Like I said in the other chapter, Zhao's plans would be a __'two-parter'. I've outlined it quite well and I've come up with some unusual ideas, but all of them are realistic to the story-line. Keep reading and you'll make sense of what you're reading now._

_Here are the next chapter titles:_

_._

_Team Avatar-Part I: Coming Together_

_._

_Team Avatar-Part II: Falling Apart_

_._

_It's time to remember all the things you know and love about Avatar…_

_I just hope I have a clue on what I'm about to do and I can deliver what I promised to keep…_

_Kojab8890_


	10. Team Avatar Part I: Coming Together

Author's Note: I was able to scrap a dozen few ideas together to make this story

_Disclaimer: __**Just read my monotonous disclaimer from my other chapters…**_

(A/N): **Like any great change of fate, the day always begins with the serene. Many call it, 'The calm before the storm'. It was so peaceful, that no one suspected the extraordinary to happen. The day began just as it always had.**

**.**

**The world begins its usual routine.**

**.**

**At daybreak, the children wake up and see the sun peeking out of the mountains, its rays, warming their faces.**

**.**

**The lines of troops, after a night's rest, continue their journey home. They try to recall their last meal, but it is lost with the cheerful glances of their comrades.**

**.**

**Everything comes to life.**

**.**

**It is just so sad that no one expected the unthinkable—the extraordinary to happen on this fateful day.**

**.**

**Because, by the end of the day, the balance that everyone had toiled for so long would be…**

**.**

**Well, let's just say that it began peacefully.**

**.**

**In fact, the only way anyone will ever make sense of this day is if we go back a night before the inevitable happened.**

**.**

**This was the night when Kanna, a native of the Southern Water Tribe, decided that it would be nice to place some flowers in her home…**

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Book 4

_Air_

Chapter ten:

Team Avatar—Part One: Coming Together

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**South Pole, Southern Water Tribe (****the night before)**

Hakkoda was rushing, taking quick, purposeful steps across the slippery snow. If he could run any faster in his tribal clothes, he would. Other tribal warriors were rushing beside him, all ready to assist. All of these men were ready—they were ready for battle.

Earlier, an informant had rushed into his igloo with warnings that an ambush was taking place. The over-lookers stationed atop the city had caught sight of two spies sneakily moving about the city's boundaries, searching for an entry into their ice mountain. Hakkoda could smell more trouble. Something big was going to happen soon. _These spies are just the tip of the iceberg_, he knew.

"_Keep running!_" ordered Chief Hakkoda. "_Stop for nothing and give yourself no rest! Move! Move! Mo—!_"

"_HA—KOOOO—DA!!_"

The tribal elder stopped on his tracks and his shoulders slumped and he moaned disappointedly. "_Yeeessss, Mother…?_"

Gran-gran stepped out of one of the igloos. Her face was terribly serious. Hakkoda could tell that this was going to be a tiring conversation.

"_I need you to run an errand for me!_" she shouted.

"_But, ma… We've spotted some spies just outside the city and we need to take care of them right away!_" reasoned Hakkoda. All around him, the other tribal elders and warriors were sniggering.

"_I understand completely… But once you're done, can you go and pick up some flowers for me?_"

Hakkoda scratched his head. "_But where will I get flowers? This is the South Pole, mother…_"

"_Ask Pakku, son,_" spoke his mother. "_He knows where to get the flowers._"

"_Can't you ask Pakku, yourself?_"

"_Pakku's a very busy man, son,_" answered Kanna. "_He has no time for such simple tasks._"

Hakkoda groaned. He was a busy man too. "_Couldn't you do it yourself, mother?_"

Kanna shook her head. "_I'm old, I'm tired, and I need to sleep. I'm just asking you a favor, son._"

Hakkoda looked at the interior ice wall, readying himself to capture the trespassers. "_Can't this wait until tomorrow, mother? I really need to do this._"

Kanna smiled. "_Very well. First thing tomorrow, you will get me my flowers. As for now, go. Get those spies, my son. Catch them for us._"

Hakkoda smiled and patted his machete. "_Yes… I will._"

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o0o

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Hakkoda and his men entered one of the exit tunnels. A guardsman had been waiting there. "_Have you any news, watcher? Are the spies still finding a way into the city?_"

The guardsman shook his head. "_We have them, sir._"

Hakkoda smiled and placed a praising hand on the man's shoulder. "_Very good. Did you tie them up?_"

The guardsman plainly shook his head.

"_No, sir._"

Hakkoda felt enraged. "_Why didn't you tie them—?_"

Suddenly, from the other side of the tunnel, four men walked in. Two of them were guardsmen that he knew were stationed outside. The other two were not guardsmen. One of them was the Mechanist, his beard and hair had been frozen stiff. The other one was his son—Sokka.

Hakkoda ran up to him and hugged him.

"_Sokka! Where were you two? You've been lost for quite a while. We thought you were—_"

But when Hakkoda looked at his son's face, he realized that the young warrior was not exactly happy to see them. He looked stern and he was quiet. Something else was clouding his thoughts. Sokka wasn't even hugging him back. Hakkoda wondered what was bothering him.

"_Dad_," said Sokka, "_I have to leave._"

And Hakkoda stepped back, realizing that Sokka no longer spoke with his usual goof-around attitude. He was speaking seriously. When a boy talked this way, it was best to let him be to his own actions.

Sokka looked into his father's eyes. This time, Hakkoda could see more meaning in his purpose.

"_I have to leave._"

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**Earth Kingdom, Western shoreline (the night before)**

"Are you sure you're okay? You look like you still need some rest."

Katara waved Aang off, signaling him not to worry. "I'll be fine. I'll rest on the trip there. Besides, I wasn't really hurt that much. And are you sure you prepared everything? Zuko didn't mention much in his letter."

Aang shrugged. "All I'm worried about now is if Sokka and Toph can make it. Zuko sounded urgent in his message. That means, I'll have to get there as soon as possible. If Toph and Sokka can't get here in time, then we'll just have to leave without them."

Aang Airbended onto Appa's side while grasping Katara on the side. Slowly, they both landed on the saddle and Aang dropped her steadily. Katara eyed Aang carefully. "You didn't have to do that, you know. I'm no baby."

Aang smiled at her and shrugged. "I know." And Aang jumped to the ground again.

Katara watched him scurry around, gathering the rest of their belongings. As she watched, Momo jumped on her shoulder. The little lemur chattered and chittered. Katara smiled and patted the little creature on the head. "I missed you too, Momo."

Appa groaned.

Katara laughed and patted the beast on its fur. "You too, Appa."

As Aang gathered the last of his belongings under his arms, something shivered across the ground, trembling his feet. It was still quite far and Aang couldn't make out its general shape. But there was something.

Katara caught him staring into the trees. "What is it, Aang? Is someone coming?"

Aang shook his head seriously, unsure what he was sensing. "No."

"Someone's here."

That was when a large mound of earth launched Aang into the air and into the trees.

Katara was on the move instantly. "_Who's there?_"

"_You know I can always get you with that, Twinkletoes!_"

A rising laughter stepped out of the woods. It wasn't a maniacal, scary laughter. No. It was a friendly, teasing one. Both Katara and Aang recognized it instantly. And when the figure stepped out of the forest, the moonlight made it clear to them once and for all.

"Toph!"

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**Fire Nation, Industrial Harbor, the ****Beach (the night before)**

General Shinu listened as their warship screeched to a halt on the shore. The ship platform had been lowered and the Imperial Firebenders stepped off the ship, getting into position. Things would start soon. When he was done watching this, the General turned to Zhao. The man had two hawks perched on his arm.

"Are those the…?"

Zhao smiled at Shinu. "_Yes… They are…_"

Shinu looked into the horizon. "And so it begins…"

Zhao nodded with confidence. "_Yes._"

"_It begins…_"

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… _And so it begins _…

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**Fire Nation Palace, Fire Lord's Quarters (early dawn)**

"_Zuko! Wake up!_"

Zuko woke up.

It was Mai.

Mai and a bunch of soldiers.

The Fire Lord immediately sat upright. "What's _wrong_?"

Zuko could see that there was distress in her eyes. It was in all of their eyes. Mai was rubbing her right forearm constantly. When she spoke, her voice was reduced to nothing more than a gasp. "_We're under attack… They were captured…_"

Zuko grabbed hold of Mai on the shoulders, shaking her, telling her to be strong. "Who were captured? Where were we attacked?"

Tears were rising from Mai's eyes and she was actually sobbing. Zuko's soul would be forever shaken by the sight. And her next words were no happier. "_They attacked everyone, Zuko—captured everyone… My parents… Tom-Tom… Everyone…_" And Mai showed Zuko her left hand. It was slightly burned, wounded.

"_I tried to stop them…_" she sobbed.

Zuko shook her harder, shaking the answer off her. "_Who's attacking? WHO?_"

But Mai had fallen to her knees, crying.

Zuko turned to the rest of the soldiers. "_WHO'S ATTACKING US? WHO?!_"

"We don't know, sir," responded one of the soldiers. "We've seen Imperial Firebenders attacking the houses around the Grand Plaza. We don't know who's leading them, sir. A lot of people were already captured."

Zuko stood up. "Get the rest of the people to safety. I'll deal with this myself."

But then, Mai grabbed Zuko on the hand and pulled herself up. Tears were still stained on her cheeks, but she was no longer crying. The sobbing adolescent had been replaced by a stoic persona. "No, Zuko. We have to get you to safety."

Zuko turned to her. "No, Mai. This is not your decision to make. The lives of the people are at stake. I am responsible for them. I will handle this."

Mai suddenly reached forward and kissed Zuko.

When she stepped back, her eyes were once again brimming with tears.

"_You cannot die, Zuko! Do you hear me? You're all this nation has left—the Fire Nation's one last chance for peace. If you go out there—when you go out there, you will put yourself in a lot of risk… And that's exactly what those people want you to do. The Fire Nation can't lose you, do you hear me? And I can't either!_"

Zuko was angry. "And I'll just hide, is that it? I hide like a coward while my enemies destroy this nation? _I can't do that_, Mai! I can't!"

Mai took hold of Zuko's hand. "Not so strong, Zuko."

Zuko turned away. "I _have_ to be strong."

Mai was pleading. "_Please…_"

Zuko pulled his hand free and started walking away.

"_Do you think your uncle would be proud of you?_" Mai continued. "_Do you think he'll be happy to see you put your life at risk?_"

Zuko stopped. Mai had brought his uncle into the topic. He had to make reason. "My uncle would tell me to die for my country!"

But Mai proved him wrong. "_No, Zuko! He would tell you to live for it!_"

Zuko turned around, glaring into the eyes of Mai, holding that stare for as long as he could. All his anger was bottling up inside him. But Mai just stared at him, silently pleading him to listen to reason.

Zuko turned to the nearest soldier. "Prepare my bunker. Bring everyone to safety."

He turned to Mai.

"And that includes me."

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**North Pole, Northern Water Tribe, ****Tribal hall**

The sun was rising on the beautiful North Pole. War Minister Qin was already awake, choosing not to sleep on such eventful night. Instead, he counted the few remaining hours before everything would come together. Everything was already set. All he needed was the signal.

"So you're up as well."

War Minister Qin was surprised to find Chief Arnook walking towards him; a warm morning smile was on his face. "I couldn't stop thinking about the food last night," joked Qin.

Chief Arnook laughed. "If you weren't Fire Nation, I could have sworn you had the Water Tribe stomach. Waiting for breakfast, I presume?"

Qin snapped his fingers. "You got me again, chief! You and me—we see eye to eye. Maybe you can read minds."

Chief Arnook smiled. "Not minds, Qin. I can see through people's intentions. It comes with the 'chief' title. And I've seen your intentions, Qin. They're very alarming."

For a moment, Qin was shocked. Did the man know?

Chief Arnook laughed. "I know you're going to take all that food for yourself. It's written all over your face—and apparently, your stomach as well."

Qin laughed. "Well, you know me!" he joked again. "But what I'm really wondering is why would a tribal chieftain like you be awake so early in the morning. I doubt you were thinking about food. That's my business."

The man smiled and shook his head. "No. No. I wasn't thinking about food. I was thinking about my daughter… I just missed her…"

Qin nodded appreciatively. "I understand… Did something happen to her?"

Chief Arnook smiled. "She was brave, Qin. She saved the balance of our world when a horrible man tried to break it. Her bravery has inspired me to keep her strength. Ever since she left us, I decided to double my peace-making efforts. Now that there's peace again, I believe that my daughter did not sacrifice herself in vain."

Qin felt guilty for a moment, but it was fleeting.

Chief Arnook glanced at the sky. "Now, she rests among the stars as the Moon Spirit."

And then, there was a caw. A bird had landed on Qin's window pane. It was a messenger bird. Qin smiled at the tribal chieftain. "Excuse me. But I have important matters to attend to. I would love some privacy."

Chief Arnook bowed low. "Say no more, minister. I have my own duties to attend to." And the man left.

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o0o

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A Fire Nation soldier entered Qin's room. The War Minister was holding a little parchment in his hands. Qin could tell that somewhere else, on the other side of the world, another messenger hawk had arrived at the hands of another instigator. The man was smiling at the soldier. "You called, sir?" asked the soldier.

Qin smiled. "Round up your troops, soldier. We have our orders."

The soldier bowed low. "Do you want some escorts, sir?"

Qin shook his head and smiled. "There will be no struggle here. I will do this alone to prevent any speculation."

"Yes, sir."

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**Ba Sing Se, Grand Palace, entrance tunnel**

Iroh was always looking over his shoulder, checking to see if anyone was following him or an arrow was headed his way. He also walked quite fast, trying not to stumble. People who saw him paid him no second's thought. He was just a paranoid old man with a problem with his feet. But Iroh had the right to be paranoid. He was the only one who knew about the revolution that was going to happen. He had used every side-alley and street in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se, trying to lose track of the Dai Li agents that were after him and the Yu Yan archers that wanted him dead.

"_Please!_" spoke Iroh to two Royal guards that blocked the entrance to the tunnel that led to the Grand Palace. "You have to listen to me! There's going to be an attack!"

"Step aside, old man," spoke the first Royal guard. "All matters that have to be sent to the Earth King should be processed. No direct confrontations can be made."

"There's going to be an attack! You have to let me through! The Earth King is in danger!"

"The Earth King is in no danger," said the second Royal guard. "Go home, old man. Go back to sleep."

_Whizzz…_

A rock slammed right onto the second guard's stomach, knocking the wind right out of him. The force sent him to the ground. The first guard turned to aid the second. Iroh turned around to find rows of Dai Li agents, all lined up in front of the wall entrance. They had appeared out of nowhere and without warning.

Iroh sent a fistful of charged energy at the first line, but the Dai Li created a wall and blocked it.

Iroh continued, trying to stall.

He turned to the first guard. "Go! Tell the Earth King! He's under attack!"

But before the first Royal guard could move, an arrow shot through the man's uniform, pinning him to the ground.

Iroh turned around. You Yan archers were stationed atop the houses.

He was alone.

He was surrounded.

Long Feng stepped forward. "I'll leave you to the Yu Yan. My agents and I have more important matters to attend to."

And the entire troop of Dai Li went belowground.

When they had disappeared, the Yu Yan archers jumped forward, taking their place. Without hesitation, they fired. Iroh took the defensive, sending continuous waves of fire to whip their shots to the side. He was able to stop the blunt of them, though others had struck his clothing, tearing it into scraps. Iroh paused to breathe and the Yu Yan archers reloaded their shots simultaneously.

And the archers fired again.

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**South Pole, Southern Water Tribe**

Hakkoda entered Pakku's igloo with a short knock on the ice, asking if anyone was home. When he found his step-father, Pakku was dining on a cup of warm noodles. "Yes?" he asked.

Hakkoda sighed. "My mother wants some flowers. She said you knew where to find some."

Pakku nodded silently as he sucked some noodles into his mouth. "Just go to the open hut outside the city. I've planted a few there."

And Pakku continued eating.

Hakkoda sighed.

This was going to be a long day.

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**Fire Nation, Underground Bunker beneath the Royal Plaza**

Zuko was the last to go inside the bunker, preferring to bring the others inside before him. Once he was inside, the bunker was sealed shut. When the young Fire Lord brought everyone to safety, he had seen the enemies. They were Imperial Firebenders, dozens of them. The houses that were being recently reconstructed were once again burned.

"Is everything secured?" asked Zuko.

A soldier responded. "It's all good."

Suddenly, the screeching sounds of blowing flames reverberated from the other side of the metal barricade. Zuko heard it. Everyone heard it. In a few seconds, Zuko could feel the rising heat that came from their side of the metal door. Some of the royal patrons were beginning to grow frightened as they watched the door and listened to the scorching flames that came from the other side.

And then, a portion of the door heated into a bright orange glow.

The door was getting melted from the other side.

Zuko cursed.

_CLANG!_

_CLANG!_

_CLANG!_

Three large bumps began to pop from the other side. They were being shot at. The steel door was becoming far too malleable to stay rigid. The hotter the metal got, the softer it became. And that increased everyone's worry.

Zuko turned around and faced the rest of the people.

"We have to move back!"

_CLANG!_

_CLANG!_

Panic ensued. Everyone started to scramble to the deeper tunnels of the bunker. Zuko, Mai, and a ragtag group of Firebenders and soldiers were ready to hold back the enemy. Mai constantly urged Zuko to fall back but Zuko insisted now and he didn't choose to fall back any longer.

_CLANG!_

_CLANG!_

"Mai…" spoke Zuko softly. "If we don't make it through this, I just want you to know that—"

"_Shut up_ and _focus_, Zuko!" she retorted.

Zuko nodded vigorously. "Right. Right."

_CLANG!_

_BAM!!_

A smoking rock pierced right through. What followed after that was an assault of more rocks that broke through the malleable molten steel. The door was too soft now. Pretty soon, the wrought-iron gave way and a large gaping hole was in its center. Zuko could see a large Komodo-Rhino at the other side with strapped catapults. Four Imperial Firebenders entered.

Zuko and his men ran up to them, making their last stand.

And just as he was trained, Zuko shot out short bursts of fire, striking their targets with pinpoint accuracy, right before the first Imperial Firebender could force a blast.

Mai took up the rest of the job. As Zuko struck down each opponent in rapid bursts, Mai used her stilettos to pin them to the rocky walls. Zuko and Mai were in perfect synchronization, attacking and immobilizing. Mai threw a blade, Zuko fired a shot—that was their intricate dance.

But it was realized that the Imperial Firebenders were too many and their numbers overwhelmed their small band of defenders. Zuko thought that the small hole would only allow little of them through. But the Imperial Firebenders were finding ways around them, using large fiery blasts to disorient them as they went inside to continue their attacks.

Already, four of Zuko's men were down and out.

That left a remaining twelve more—not enough considering the continuous adding of troops from the other side of the metal door.

The catapults strapped to the Komodo-Rhino on the other side were also firing burning coal. It was already hard enough to deal with specialized Firebenders. Adding burning fireballs just made Zuko's job all the more difficult.

"Fall back!" Zuko ordered.

Everyone was able to fall back. But Zuko and Mai could not. They were trapped, encircled by a group of 12 Imperial Firebenders.

But no one was firing anything.

_Why aren't they doing anything_, thought Zuko. _Why did they stop?_

Zuko turned to the hole in the door and watched as two men stepped in. One was General Shinu. The other was a dead man—a man he had seen die right before his own eyes. Zuko's jaw hung limp. He just stared at him in disbelief.

Zhao enjoyed the moment of sweet surprise.

"_Hello, Zuko…_"

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.

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**Earth Kingdom, Grand Palace, entrance tunnel**

"_GNNRAAAH! GNNRAAAH!_"

Iroh kept throwing more fire arcs. The arrows that were headed to his face curved back onto the ground and struck the marble before his feet. Iroh had no choice but to be purely on the defensive. If he tried so much as a punch of flame, his open side would be pierced by a dozen arrows.

Another ceasefire.

This time, the Yu Yan archers lowered their bows—except one. This was the lead Yu Yan archer. From his thigh-strap, he pulled out a thick wooden arrow. Iroh grimaced. He closed his eyes in defeat. The archer was going to use a heavier arrow. That meant that, if used correctly, would be much harder to deter from its target. The heavy arrow would find its mark.

Iroh lowered his hands in defeat.

The Yu Yan archer took aim.

And fired.

.

o0o

.

Everything was now reduced to trajectories and space.

The arrow, unlike popular belief, moved in the air—instead of just a swift throw forward. The long rod wobbled from side to side while the front end and the rear stayed in place. If the arrow was lighter, it had more chance to be swept away by the wind. A heavier arrow had a better chance of sticking to its path and not even a strong burst of fire could change that. Iroh would need something heavier.

That was why Iroh had given up.

As the arrow traveled the distance between the lead archer's bow to Iroh's right eye, it wobbled and it moved. And just like the Yu Yan archer's legendary skill of accuracy, this arrow stayed on track.

The tip of the arrow came inches from Iroh's closed right eye.

_Before another arrow struck it from the side._

This second arrow hit the first arrow's arrowhead perpendicularly and with a much stronger force. The first arrow was shot to the side. The only thing that struck Iroh was the wind that came from these shots.

.

o0o

.

Iroh opened his eyes. He was alive somehow. _Someone has saved me_. He should be dead, but someone had saved him. He scanned the crowd before him, searching for this savior of his.

_Whizzz…_

_Whizzz…_

_Whizzz…_

_More arrows!_ Iroh was about to duck for cover when he realized that these shots were not coming his way. Three Yu Yan archers were pinned to the ground. The sudden attack surprised all of them. They began to search the streets for the mysterious shooter.

But Iroh had found him.

As the Yu Yan scanned the streets, they did not realize that the mysterious archer was in their crowd. Iroh had recognized him despite the fact that he was wearing Yu Yan archer uniform and had a red marking painted on his face. He recognized him despite the fact that he no longer wore his large hat or blue shirt.

The archer that had saved him was none other than Longshot.

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o0o

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_Whizzz…_

_Whizzz…_

_Whizzz…_

_Whizzz…_

_Whizzz…_

Five continuous shots resounded from Longshot's bow. It struck down five Yu Yan archers sequentially. Iroh used this moment of confusion to throw some blows of his own, forcing them back. The Yu Yan archers had no chance to arm their bows due to these attacks. Arrows and Fire. This was their defeat.

Longshot casually walked to Iroh's side, shooting more arrows as he did so. He loaded two to four arrows at a time. All of them were accurate. All of them struck down archers.

But the Yu Yan archers were not far behind. Despite their lack of defense, they kept trying to arm themselves. Iroh and Longshot would lose their winning streak if they didn't do anything exceptional within the next few seconds.

"Do you have a plan?" asked Iroh to Longshot.

Longshot stopped firing and pointed to a nearby house. The grand festival was approaching and many of the houses had stocked themselves full of firecrackers for the celebration. Longshot was pointing to one of these houses where a barrel full of them had been placed outside. Iroh instantly got the idea.

Longshot armed one arrow.

Iroh flicked his fingers, igniting the tip of said arrow.

And Longshot released his shot.

The Yu Yan had no time to realize that something white and hot had exploded right behind them. All of them fell to the ground. They all moaned in pain. Some were blinded. Others were scorched. All of them had been defeated.

Iroh and Longshot continued running. Iroh pointed to the Earth Kingdom Grand Palace. "_We don't have much time! The Dai Li agents are heading for the Earth King!_"

Longshot nodded.

If the Earth King was attacked, then their brief victory might mean nothing after all.

.

.

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**Fire Nation, Underground bunker beneath the Royal Plaza**

"_How is it that you're still alive? I saw you die! You were taken by that spirit! You died! I saw it! You died!_" Zuko exasperated.

Zhao stepped forward. "_True… I was taken away by the Ocean Spirit… But I had found a way back, you see… And now that I've come back, I want revenge, Zuko. You took away the glory that was supposed to be mine! All of it! And now! Now, I have nothing! I am nothing but a dead man walking among the living! It's all because of you, Zuko! You took it all away from me! And now! Now, I will make you pay!_"

But Zuko shrugged off his angry words and sent a blast of fire his way.

Zhao was engulfed in flame but he remained unharmed.

"_No one can harm me, Zuko!_" exclaimed Zhao. "_No one can touch me! But I can kill you… I can reach out and kill you…_"

Zuko stepped back. Terror filled every orifice of his body. Every part of him told him that he was going to feel a lot of pain today. Mai stepped closer to Zuko, horrified of the monstrosity that had manifested into a dead man. Zhao was a menacing soul before and after death. That gave little to comfort Zuko.

"_You can feel it, can't you?_" spoke Zhao. "_All of your beautiful peace crumbling into nothing but…ashes… And it was so easy to do it too. All it took was a web of hardened souls like myself to do the exact same thing all over the world at exactly the same time—all under my control. You have lost today, Zuko. I have allies all over the world—even here…_"

And General Shinu stepped out of the shadows.

Zuko glared at the man.

General Shinu just stared back.

Zhao patted the General on the shoulder. "_This man had been the final piece to this whole scheme, you see. With his command, I was able to win over the Imperial Firebenders, take control of the Yu Yan archers, and raise a siege on the Royal Plaza. This man has more power than you, Zuko. He has commanded more respect than you. If you were such a good leader, then General Shinu shouldn't have switched sides in the first place!_"

And Zhao laughed.

Zhao laughed because he had triumphed once and for all.

.

.

.

**South Pole, Southern Water Tribe**

Hakkoda should have asked better directions from Pakku. Though he had been acquainted with the city's layout, he did not know of the many daily additions the Waterbenders had placed up. He just wondered how Pakku could have placed a garden in the middle of the frigid South Pole.

But then, he sniffed the sweet scent of roses and lilies.

The chieftain smiled.

He was going the right way after all. All he had to do now was follow the sweet scent of flowers.

.

.

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**North Pole, Northern Water Tribe, Tribal Hall—approaching the Spirit Oasis**

War Minister Qin could almost taste it. The taste of victory. He was so close now. All he had to do was pull the small circular wooden door that led to the Spirit Oasis, reach the small pond there, and kill both the Koi fishes—the Ocean and Moon Spirits—at the same time. This was where Zhao told him they would be.

Qin opened the wooden hatch and slipped through it. He had already prepared some explosives in his pocket. He would eliminate the Water Tribes with a single blow.

.

o0o

.

But all Qin saw was a small mound of snow.

There was nothing here but a pond that had turned into ice.

Nothing was alive here.

It was only colder.

.

o0o

.

"_Arrest him, immediately!_"

Qin turned around and realized that two Waterbenders were behind him with spears aimed at his gut. They dropped these spears and Waterbended some snow onto his hands, binding them together. And behind these men was Chief Arnook, staring at him sorrowfully.

Qin was still dumbfounded. "H-How did you…?"

"We've arrested the rest of your men," said Chief Arnook. "All of you will stand trial against the Water Tribe Council."

Qin looked back at the mound of snow and frozen pond. That wasn't supposed to be there. "_But my source told me! He told me that this was a spiritual oasis that was full of life and plants. In the pond were the Ocean and Moon Spirits and all I had to do to win was to kill them! This can't be it!_"

Chief Arnook turned and walked away. "Ever since the siege last winter, we've decided that the Spirit Oasis was too exposed now that someone had found out where it was. We couldn't let the Spirits be exposed again."

"_B-But!_" Qin sputtered. "_W-What did you do?_"

"We moved it."

.

.

.

**South Pole, Southern Water Tribe**

Hakkoda stepped into the open hut and felt warm all over. He removed his fur coat and took in the air. Was this still the South Pole? Somehow, in this little hut, everything was thriving. The grass was green. _Green grass in the South Pole!_ Maybe Hakkoda was just hallucinating.

And then he spotted a small pond with two black and white fishes encircling each other. Hakkoda shrugged. He would ask their importance later.

Hakkoda did not stay long. He plucked two lilies from the ground and walked out of the hut. His mother would better appreciate this or he was going to cry right in front of her.

.

.

.

**Earth Kingdom, Grand Palace**

Iroh and Longshot quickly traversed the palace's hundred and one earthen steps. The climb was exhausting and it was only made worse by the fact that they were time pressured. As they climbed the last few steps, the two could already hear the loud noises of rebellion. The palace shook with blows and crunches. The ground was being pulled this way and that.

Finally, when they arrived at the palace's floor, they realized that their services were no longer needed.

The Dai Li, no matter how skilled in combat or professional they were, were easily pushed back by the overwhelming amount of Royal Guards that stood marching against them. Agents were flying everywhere while the Royal Guards just marched forward, Earthbending on the go.

Long Feng was shocked, moving every which way. He couldn't make sense of the retaliations going on around him. These guards were never supposed to be here in the first place. He was supposed to catch the Earth King by surprise. This was supposed to be a siege-ambush!

Iroh was just as surprised. Longshot looked at him, giving him a questioning glance. Iroh shook his head, immediately understanding what he was talking about. "I didn't send the Earth King any message! The Earth King must have known somehow!"

And just as Iroh said this, the Earth King stepped in front of his troops. Long Feng was alone. His agents were on the ground, unconscious.

The Earth King angrily looked at Long Feng, raising a fist. "_It's time you took your permanent leave, Long Feng_." And with his raised fist, he launched Long Feng into the air by surprisingly Earthbending a large pillar of earth.

Longshot pulled out his bow and arrow. He shot Long Feng at the collar sticking him high above the ground on a large pillar. Long Feng groaned disappointedly as he hung, his feet dangling below a good distance.

"_It's back to my cell for me…_" he mumbled sadly.

.

.

.

**Fire Nation, Underground bunker beneath the Royal Plaza**

"_IMPERIAL FIREBENDERS!_" barked Zhao. "_KILL THE FIRE LORD!!_"

Half of the Imperial Firebenders fired explosive blasts at Zuko.

Half went in his way and blocked them.

Zhao's eyes went wide with disbelief. "_WHAT ARE YOU DOING?_" he spoke, addressing the half that had defended the Fire Lord. "_GET BACK AND ATTACK!!_"

But this half of the Imperial Firebenders stood their ground, taking the fighting stance. They were ready to block any other fiery opposition. Zuko and Mai would not get harmed on their watch. Zhao saw that the fear and terror he delighted in Zuko's eyes were long gone, replaced by strength and firmness. It was as if Zuko and Mai had played the frightened act in the first place.

"_GET BACK AND ATTACK OR I WILL KILL YOU MYSELF!!_"

But the Imperial Firebenders defending Zuko remained unfazed by Zhao's threats. They were loyal to the Fire Lord. _But how?_ That was Zhao's question. He was sure that when he trained his half of the men, he made sure they were loyal to him. But the other half, the half that belonged to General Shinu, they too were—

General Shinu stepped forward and sided beside Zuko.

"_General Shinu! What are you doing?_" Zhao screeched.

"General Shinu had always been on my side, Zhao," spoke Zuko. "He has been loyal to me since the beginning. He informed me of your existence since you first appeared to him. And despite our uneven terms, General Shinu has helped me find ways to stop you."

General Shinu stared at Zhao. "Fire Lord Zuko may be the youngest Fire Lord to ever rule the Fire Nation, but I am loyal the royal family. I side with whoever sits on the throne."

"_You will pay dearly for this treachery, General Shinu!_" shouted Zhao.

"Your threats no longer amuse us," spoke Zuko. "General Shinu has told me everything. He told me how you were going to destroy the Water Tribes and overrun the Earth Kingdom. I was able to warn their leaders beforehand. General Shinu only gave you the impression that you were going to win. It was all part of the plan.

"And you were wrong, Zhao. Because a mere show of force will not break the peace that has returned to the world. This peace is strong, Zhao. It is stronger than you. And today, I have proved that. You have lost."

Zhao stepped back.

"_No!_" he screamed. "_This cannot happen! I cannot lose!_"

"Surrender yourself, Zhao! Tell your men to surrender!" Zuko ordered.

Zhao laughed abruptly. "_You cannot make me! You cannot even touch me! You can do nothing to me!_"

Zuko shook his head. "That is where you are wrong again. You may be some sort of physical spirit that has been left in this world, but you are not invincible… I have sent for the Avatar to come here. He is the medium between the Spirit World and our world. _He will put you back in your place_."

Zhao stepped farther back. "_No! No! This cannot be! I cannot lose! In fact, I have not yet lost!_" And Zhao turned to his loyal Imperial Firebenders. "_Retreat! We have one more card to play!_"

And as Zhao and his men exited through the hole, a new opponent appeared.

She had mangled hair and a manic smile. Her eyes were red. Her fingers twitched. She was determined as she was possessed. This was the one thing Zuko and General Shinu could never plan. It was the one thing that was out of their control. Zuko had no way to respond to it.

Azula had come to kill her brother.

.

o0o

.

Zuko fought for his life.

The combined strength of the Fire Lord, General Shinu, and half of the Imperial Firebenders could not suppress the scorching madness of Azula's flame. She was impossibly stronger—her Firebending had been increased ten-fold. It was as if her own bending had been powered by several other Firebenders and combined into one person.

"_**VVRRRRAAAAAIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE!!**_"

Every scream released a consuming blast of blue blaze that could very well overpower Zuko and his forces. They would have been turned into ashes. Azula seemed happy by the mere idea of it.

But Zhao called from his side of the whole.

"_That's enough Azula! We need to retreat!_"

Azula didn't seem to listen. She was determined to kill her only brother. "_I have to kill Zu-Zu…_" she drawled. "_I have to burn his skin away…_"

"_No! We have to go now!_" And Zhao grabbed her hand as Azula continued screaming blue fire onto Zuko and his men. When the fire disappeared, Azula, Zhao, and the other Imperial Firebenders disappeared up the tunnels. Zuko had no choice but to follow them.

He had to end this now.

.

o0o

.

**Fire Nation, Royal Plaza, Airship platform**

Zuko had followed Zhao and his men all the way to the Airships stationed at the crater rim of the Royal Plaza. Only one airship was stationed there. This was the airship Zuko had used to get here from Ba Sing Se. He realized now what they were doing. They were going to escape through this airship. _But not for long_, thought Zuko.

Zuko ran as quickly as his shoes could carry him, but Azula always looked back, breathing intense blue flames that nearly reached him.

The airship began to cast off.

Zuko watched as Zhao was the last to get on the ship. Zuko tried to jump but the railings were already out of reach.

"_It's not yet over, Zuko!_" Zhao laughed.

.

o0o

.

Zuko stopped chasing the airship and calmed himself, focusing his energy on his feet.

And slowly, Zuko lifted himself up, propelling skyward. A jet of intense heat flowed out of his feet, pushing Zuko higher and higher. With this focus, Zuko was ready to go all the way to the airship.

Zhao was completely frightened. His adversary had somehow gotten the means to fly.

.

o0o

.

But Azula was waiting for him.

With one blow, Azula's heat was strong enough to make Zuko lose focus. The flames on Zuko's feet sputtered and died.

.

o0o

.

Zuko fell to the ground.

.

o0o

.

He landed hard on his back, crying out at the sudden sharp pain that struck him. And as he lay on the ground, he could only watch and stare as the airship, Azula, and Zhao moved farther and farther away. They were so far now that they resembled nothing but a pale gray dot in the bright morning sky. They were now out of reach.

"_Zuko!_"

Mai ran right beside him, helping him to his feet. "Are you alright?"

Zuko placed his arm over Mai's shoulder. "I couldn't catch up to them…" Zuko gasped. "They were out of my reach…"

Mai remembered everything that had happened. The horror of seeing Azula was still fresh in his mind. She couldn't bear to watch Zuko face her again. "You can't go at this alone," she spoke.

Zuko was still staring at the sky. A smile came on his face.

"I'm not doing this alone."

A giant white sky bison landed right next to them. Three people were waving at him.

Aang.

Katara.

Toph.

Mai turned to Katara. "Where's your crazy brother?"

Katara shook her head sadly. "He couldn't make it in time."

"_Who said I couldn't make it in time?_"

Everyone turned their heads to see a green airship arrive from the other side. Its noise had blended with the plaza's own hubbub, therefore going in unnoticed. On the airship's platform was Sokka, waving crazily at them.

Katara was amazed. "_You came!_"

Sokka smiled smugly. "And I brought some reinforcements too."

The reinforcements were in fact Kyoshi Warriors. Suki and Ty Lee were waving at them from below.

Zuko stared at the direction where Zhao's airship had gone. When he spoke, it was with a great sense of determination and powerful conviction. His thoughts were straight and true. Everyone was ready to go. All Zuko needed to do now was say the words.

"_Let's go._"

.

o0o

.

Team Avatar was back.

.

o0o

.

(_Play Avatar theme music_)


	11. Team Avatar Part II: Falling Apart

AVATAR is on the rise...

_Disclaimer: __**Just read my monotonous disclaimer from my other chapters…**_

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Book 4

_Air_

Chapter eleven:

Team Avatar—Part Two: Falling Apart

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**Fire Nation boundary, A hundred feet up**

"_We're closing in on them!_" shouted Sokka, his words battling against the very wind that caused far more noise than their engines ever could. "_They're trying to outrun us, but we'll make it!_" Sokka said this as he turned the wheel and steered their ship.

Zuko nodded and acknowledged, holding his ground on the airship's metal platform. The wind shear had messed up his groomed royal hair and was now ferociously battering his eyes. But he could not worry about appearances now. Their enemy was almost within reach.

Sokka, Zuko, Mai, and the Kyoshi Warriors were on Sokka's airship tailing the one Zhao had taken. Aang, Katara, and Toph were moving much faster on Appa. The three chose to reach Zhao first and see if they could immobilize them before anyone else got hurt.

Zuko shook his head. _No… Someone will get hurt…_

A Fire Nation airship was a large, bulky warship styled with all the beautiful necessities that would intimidate any opponent when they would catch eyes on it. The front massif on the airship was already enough to tell anything in the sky to back away. But one thing the airship was not built for was speed. All the shiny decorations would slow it down in the air, acting more like a block of wood in the wind. But the Mechanist had fixed this, favoring speed to appearance. The Earth Kingdom airship was smaller, lighter. There was no golden decoration on the front—only a cutting wedge shape that allowed the craft to move even faster. It would not take long before Zuko, Sokka, and the others beat Zhao from his escape.

But it was Aang, Katara, and Toph that did the first move.

"_I'll see if I can slow them down!_" shouted Aang.

Zuko nodded, hopping he could see it.

.

o0o

.

Aang gave Appa a little jump forward, moving away from the Earth Kingdom airship to the Fire Nation one. "_Appa! Yip! Yip!_" The beast responded and sped up streamlining itself and moved quickly. After he did this, he turned to Toph and Katara. "_Hold on! This is going to be rough!_"

"_Like it isn't rough already!_" shouted Toph.

As they neared Zhao's stolen airship, the scores of Imperial Firebenders that were loyal to Zhao began moving to their shooting platforms. Without a moment's hesitation, they began barraging their newest opponent with blasts of fire. Their attacks made sure that Aang and his company could go nowhere near them.

"_Watch out!_" yelled Aang as a bunch of fireballs came charging for them.

"_Where?_" cried Toph.

Katara Waterbended a long water whip that easily dissipated the shot. More and more fireballs came towards them. Katara just kept revolving the water over their heads, catching the fires.

Aang took a moment to take a look at his newest adversary—or an old foe. Zuko had not said much about him in his letters. But a malevolent spirit was his area of expertise. If anyone should put someone's soul back into the Spirit World, then that was the Avatar's job. But there was something wrong when he looked into the soul of Zhao. He was not exactly dead as he thought he would be. There was also something else. The man's soul had phenomenal power.

But did Zhao's spirit pose as a threat at all?

No. Not one bit.

With one flick of his wrist, Aang sent a halting blast of wind towards airship. The force was so strong that three of these Imperial Firebenders fell off their platforms. The very airship itself moved to the left.

"Aang," spoke Katara. "Someone has to get onboard to stop that airship. We can't do it from outside."

Toph raised her hand, volunteering. "If anyone's going to stop some flying tin-cans, then that's my job. Just get me close enough to jump on it."

_That_, Aang figured, _was going to be quite hard now…_

Azula had just stepped onto one of the platforms.

Aang barely had the reaction time to snuff out the blazes of blue fire that came their way. It came so close that Appa freaked out. More and more of these firestorms were coming and if Aang didn't stop them now, they were going to get _seriously_ burned.

"_Aang!_" shouted Katara.

Aang was too preoccupied to respond.

Aang jumped off Appa and Airbended higher, going right into this searing blue force that should incinerate him._ This huge flame shouldn't even be possible by a single Firebender_, thought Aang. _It's just as if Azula's still powered by the comet._ And with that thinking done, Aang focused on the fire, blowing it out with the force brought up by Aang's thrusting palms. But Aang stopped it far too close to him for comfort and the explosive force of the fire sent him flying back.

Appa caught Aang immediately, making him land on his head. Aang rubbed his palms together, still feeling terribly hot.

"We have to move back, Aang!" spoke Katara. "We can't expose ourselves like this!"

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o0o

.

Suki had watched them from her viewpoint on their airship platform. It was clear that their enemies would not allow them to come near. But the blue flames she had seen told her a different story. One of them just wanted to kill them. When they started moving away, she turned to Sokka. "They're retreating!" she spoke.

Zuko had noticed. "They're trying to get onboard."

They watched as Aang, Katara, and Toph flew right beside them on Appa. Sokka ran up to them, holding onto the railings. "What went wrong?" he asked.

"There's just too much heat!" spoke Toph. "We can't get through!"

"It's the Imperial Firebenders," spoke Katara. "Once we can get past them and Azula, we can get Toph aboard and land the airship. But as you can see, we couldn't do that."

Zuko listened to them, not meeting any of their gazes. When he had heard enough, he turned away and walked back inside the airship's cabin. Mai followed him.

"What are you up to, Zuko?" spoke Mai.

"Nothing," Zuko responded plainly. "I'm just looking for something…"

Mai tapped her foot. "Don't kid with me, Zuko. I can see that look on your face. You're planning something, aren't you? You're planning but you're leaving everyone else out of your plans. Don't do this to yourself. We can win if we work together."

Zuko shook his head, preferring not to look directly at Mai. "This is a family matter, Mai. I have to finish things with my sister."

"No, Zuko!" shouted Mai. "Somehow, Azula got a lot more powerful. You might not be strong enough to deal with that kind of power."

Zuko shook his head. "I am strong enough."

Mai sighed, defeated. "You're so stubborn that it irritates me."

.

o0o

.

Sokka had come up with a plan, but it envolved getting dangerously close to the enemy. It involved some ropes and a few tricks. "_I've got a plan, but it's pretty risky. It's harebrained too. Anyone up for it?_"

They all smiled. Sokka didn't have to ask.

.

o0o

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Zhao was uneasy.

Every time he reviewed his plans and how all of them fell apart so easily, he swore and cursed. How could he have been so foolish? He had underestimated his enemy yet again. Zuko was not someone to be trifled with. And now that the Avatar was involved in this, his plan would get much more complicated.

Does this mean that Zhao still had his plan?

Yes.

A smile went on Zhao's lips. _The Avatar's involvement might be a good thing... It brings everyone into one place. I have ensnared them just as I had planed before. Things may have gone complicated, but I can handle that._

_All I need now is for them to come a little closer..._

.

o0o

.

The events that followed were swift.

Sokka trudged the airship forward, pulling out all the stops. Aang and Katara were in front of them, blocking every blast the Imperial Firebenders were extending their way. Suki and the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors were ready too, all eyes on the target. But Suki was looking at Sokka. "_Why are you smiling?_" she asked. Sokka's face was serious, but there was definitely a smile there.

Sokka turned to Suki. "You can feel it, can't you?"

"Feel what?"

Sokka looked at Suki in the eyes, his seriousness overcame her.

"Today. This day. The sound of drums and the adrenaline rushing. Our hearts are beating faster. Our minds are saying, '_this is it_'. Whatever happens, whatever comes next, we all know that this day would be life-changing. This thing would be totally awesome!"

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o0o

.

Ropes were first. The Kyoshi Warriors swung hooked lines that latched onto the railings of the other airship. Sokka, in control of their airship, rammed the other, crushing the propellers with the steel bulk of their ship. The grinding of metal pierced their ears and the collision shook everyone off their feet. But no one wanted to fall. They were too high up—a deadly place to do battle. A fall from their height would mean certain death.

Imperial Firebenders on the other side quickly moved to the rear railings to disentangle the lines and prevent anyone from crossing them.

Suki pointed to the lines. "_Move! Move! Move!_"

The Kyoshi warriors moved in synchronization. Their movements were swift and agile. Ty Lee had taught them more than just Qi blocking. She had taught them how to run on the balls of their feet. An acrobat in nature, Ty Lee gave them tightrope lessons and now, they ran on the ropes like cats.

_The trick_, thought Ty Lee, _was to keep the arms extended at the sides when you ran across the rope. The farther your hands were to your body, the greater balance one had on the rope. And placing your heavy arms on the sides did another thing: it transferred a person's center of gravity. Instead of being on the rope, the body's center of gravity was now below it—making movement sturdy and balanced…_

These principles allowed the Kyoshi warriors to run on the ropes like they were on flat ground. The Imperial Firebenders watched them coming their way, like speeding human bullets in green. Their face paint did not intimidate them. These were girls—target practice. They were coming towards them in three columns, running on three lines of thick rope.

So they attacked them with fire.

The Kyoshi warriors did not stop. "_Shields!_" shouted Ty Lee.

The first rows of warriors pulled out their collapsible shields from underneath their garments, still running, still moving. They placed their shields in front of them. And as the flames reached the first row, they stopped. The flames could not break their defense.

Sokka cheered them from the airship's cockpit. "_You go, girls!_"

And the first rows of Kyoshi warriors mounted the enemy airship like pirates overrunning another boat.

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o0o

.

Zhao grabbed the shoulder of one of the Imperial Firebenders and pointed to the ropes. "_You idiot! Burn the ropes!_"

The Imperial Firebender nodded. "Yes, sir!"

And the soldier ran and sent a blast of flame that tore the three ropes from their railings. The ropes fell away.

And though some of the Kyoshi warriors safely crossed the ropes, most of them fell. One of these people was Suki.

.

o0o

.

"_SUKI!!_"

Sokka's cries were heard as Suki saw the Imperial Firebender come crashing towards their ropes, burning them and cutting them off. Suki turned to Ty Lee. "_Stay and fight!_"

Ty Lee nodded bravely.

And the ropes were cut.

Suki and most of the Kyoshi warriors fell.

.

o0o

.

Aang, Katara, and Toph were using the Kyoshi warrior's assault as a cover for the rest of Sokka's plans. The Kyoshi warrior attack was a diversion made by Sokka to make sure that the Imperial Firebenders were diverted to that problem. Meanwhile, Appa flew beneath the airship platform, his back almost touching the platform from underneath. It was now Toph's turn to roll.

"Are you sure you know what to do?" asked Katara.

Toph rubbed her hands together. "I smash things up. That's not something I easily forget." And Toph reached up, her hands touching the underbelly of the airship's platform. She squeezed the metal together—and ripped it apart, just like paper.

And Toph pulled herself in.

Katara turned to Aang. "Are you sure you don't want to go with her? You can reach Zhao faster if he doesn't know where you are."

Aang shook his head. "If I disappear, then Zhao will know something's wrong. Sokka's right. We have to take care of this from the outside while Toph sabotages the airship from the inside. Let's go."

And Aang pulled on Appa's reigns.

.

o0o

.

Toph was inside the bomb bay.

With her extra-sensory feelings, Toph felt just like she did when she had to stop the fleet of airships during the attack of the Fire Nation on the arrival of Sozin's Comet. _I'm inside a large hunk of metal… I can see everything in this little world—all the stupid little Firebenders on the outside platform… I'm in a little metal world floating on—nothing._

This was Toph's problem. Despite the fact that she could "see", Toph was only limited to viewing the interior and exterior of the airship. The outside world was completely nothing. This was her entire world for now.

Toph moved silently, making sure there was no Imperial Firebender on the other side of the room. But she found something else.

"_Bombs…_" she whispered.

Though this was Zuko's ship, the airship was still prepared for battle. If anything should happen, Zuko would attack if necessary. The bombs were only for precautionary measures. But that didn't mean that these bombs weren't dangerous. Fire could ignite them.

"_Firebenders are idiots…_" mumbled Toph. "_They carry exploding stuff when their fire could accidentally light it…_"

Suddenly, there was a voice.

"_So you're the new addition to my list of enemies… I wonder why no one's killed you yet… You're blind after all…_"

Toph jolted, afraid. She could hear the voice but she could not sense him through her feet. She had heard his voice before and the others had informed her of his name and his existence. _Zhao_. They told Toph to stay away from this man—spirit—at all costs.

"_Those green warriors had been a diversion…_" spoke Zhao. "_I should have thought of that… They must have sent you to sabotage the ship… I can't let you do that… I guess I'll have to kill you…_"

Toph bent low to the floor, crushing a clump of metal with her hands. All the time, Toph had listened to the voice and she sought out where it came from. When she had a feeling of where the man was, Toph said, "_My friends were right! You just don't know when to shut up!_"

And Toph pulled at the metal floor and sent a wave of metal towards Zhao the same way anyone would with a carpet.

"_Amazing_," Zhao murmured. "_An Earthbender that can bend metal… Well little blind Earthbender, your attack just missed me… Maybe you should try again…_"

.

o0o

.

Suki's life was dangling on a thread. Or rope.

As soon as the rope had been cut, the Kyoshi warriors reached down and grabbed the rope. When the rope fell to the side, the fallen Kyoshi warriors were alive and hanging. Above them, Mai assisted by pulling them up.

When Suki climbed up, Mai patted her on the shoulder.

"I told you those heavy outfits would be the death of you," said Mai, smiling at her.

Suki rolled her eyes.

Mai helped her up. "You're boyfriend went crazy, telling me to help you guys up. You can tell him to shut up now."

Suki looked over Mai's shoulder.

"What's _your_ boyfriend doing?"

.

o0o

.

Zuko went to the farthest corner of the airship platform. He meditated for a second, hoping he wasn't going to kill himself. After he thought of all the things that could go wrong, he looked ahead—at the airship that was his.

And he started to run.

Zuko panted hard with sweat running down his neck. He forged ahead and his arms jogged along with him. He moved faster, hoping that he was at the right speed when he made his next move.

"_Zuko! Don't do it!_"

Mai's calls did nothing to stop Zuko from what he needed to do. When he reached the end of the platform, he did what he planned to do.

He jumped.

For a second, Zuko soared ahead. He had calculated how fast he would need to run if he wanted to reach the other airship. He wouldn't need much. Sokka had steered the airship close enough to the other that their distance wasn't that far. Zuko was an expert in jumping—he just jumped into everything.

But then, Azula was there—waiting for him.

"_**VVRRRAAAAAAAAAAA!!**_"

Zuko Firebended a fire shield that turned the fire around him. But this had slowed him down terribly. When Zuko started to fall, he realized that he fell just inches from the other airship's platform. His stomach made a horrible flip.

Azula just smiled from above, dominating over his presence.

.

o0o

.

Katara was watching Zuko fall. "_We have to catch him!_"

Aang was trying his hardest, but Appa was too slow. "_Zuko's falling too fast!_"

Katara knew it too. There would be no way to reach Zuko from Appa. The Fire Lord was going to die.

But Aang stood up, grabbing his staff.

Katara stared at him in disbelief. "_Do you think you can reach him?_"

Aang twirled his staff around until the blue wings snapped open.

"I don't think so. But I have an idea."

.

o0o

.

As Zuko fell to his death and the wind blew violently against him, he couldn't help but imagine better times and moments in his life. He recalled the people that made him great. He could see his mother. He could see Mai. He could see Iroh. He saw Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph. He saw his old blue mask and his Double swords. He saw the Fire Nation. He saw kites.

_Kites…?_

A blue kite was falling right beside him. Zuko recognized it as Aang's staff.

Was he still hallucinating?

He grabbed hold of the glider and placed his hands on the handlebars. He placed his feet on the foot holds. He was going to live. All he had to do now was just hold on until he landed on any island below him. Of course, that would mean that Zuko was out of the fight now. But at least he was alive.

But living didn't satisfy Zuko. He still wanted to fight.

And with a little bit of ingenuity, Zuko knew how he was going to get back up.

.

o0o

.

The Kyoshi warriors that were aboard the Fire Nation airship struggled to hold their ground. Ty Lee was in the lead. Among all the Kyoshi warriors, she was the only one who chose not to carry a sword. Her only weapon was a shield and she used it gracefully, batting off scathing attacks from the Imperial Firebenders like an acrobat would to flying daggers.

But their small band was not faring well. The Firebenders had the upper hand as they were larger in number and their attacks were impressive.

And to add salt to the wounds, Azula stepped in, looking straight at the leader of their particular group.

"_Ty Lee…_" she spoke, saliva dripping from the edge of her mouth.

Ty Lee was terrified. Of all her opponents, why did it have to be the one that actually had a grudge on her? But despite her terror, Ty Lee was ready to fight to the death. Azula was going down—one way or another.

And Azula attacked.

The Kyoshi warriors clumped together, forming one large shield.

All the way out in the air, there was this terrible flash of blue that exploded on the platform of the Fire Nation airship. The blue flash disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

Back on the platform, the Kyoshi warriors were down—their shields were melted. Ty Lee groaned painfully. Azula stepped over her. Her laugh was foul and terrible.

.

o0o

.

Aang and Katara had seen the sudden explosion. The sight of the sprawled Kyoshi warriors confirmed their worst fear. Aang felt his heart being squeezed. "_These people were fighting with me!_" he blurted. Now, he had the death of a group of people in the conscience of his mind.

Katara pulled on Aang's shoulder. "Bring me closer! I have to get on and heal them!"

Aang looked at Katara with fear for her. "_You can't!_ Azula will kill you!"

"Aang!" Katara shouted forcefully. "They need me! It's your job now to take Azula down. Zuko's out! The Kyoshi warriors are out! I'll need to help them! It's your turn to fight her!"

Aang nodded.

"_Appa! Yip! Yip!_"

.

o0o

.

Sokka never felt so useless in his life. Being the captain of the ship did nothing but remind him that he wasn't contributing much to their effort to stop Zhao and Azula. Now, the Kyoshi warriors were hurt, Zuko was out of action, and Toph's sabotage (if she ever did it) didn't seem to affect the airship at all.

"_Oh please…_" spoke Sokka as he pathetically searched the skies. "_We need a miracle…_"

Someone had answered him.

Sokka saw clouds.

.

o0o

.

Azula was moving towards Katara. The Waterbender had been dropped off by Aang when he made Appa go close to the airship. Since Katara did not see Azula coming her way, Azula would kill her. It would be her ultimate revenge.

_Goodbye filthy peasant…_

But something caught her attention and distracted her. Something was flying right beside their airship.

It was Zuko.

.

o0o

.

Aang thought some sort of Airbender had joined in and rose from beneath them. He thought that this was some sort of miracle—that another person was going to save them. But then he realized, '_That's my glider…_'. And then he saw who was riding it. '_That's Zuko…_' And then he realized that Zuko was flying—like an Airbender!

No.

Not quite.

He could see now that Zuko didn't move freely. He was like a bird that could only move straight, down, and up. He could turn, but he moved slowly, like a snail in the sky. And tailing Zuko was a jet of fire.

Zuko was not Airbending. He was Firebending—using the focused energy to propel him forward.

But despite Zuko's newfound ability to fly—albeit, with the help of a glider—he was barely in control. A strong breeze looked like it could blow him away. Zuko didn't look so confident either. Aang could see that he was talking to himself, directing his control of the glider.

"_Zuko!_" Aang called out. "_That's amazing!_"

Zuko didn't think so. "_Don't disturb me now! This glider is a lot harder to control than it looks!_"

It looked pretty horrible already.

"_Do you think you can get onboard your airship?_" Aang shouted. "_I think Katara might be in trouble!_"

"_I'm trying!_"

Aang decided not to ask Zuko any more questions. He had a job of his own. So when he looked at the airship platform and realized what was happening, his heart stopped cold.

.

o0o

.

When Zhao stepped onto the platform, he felt a hundred and one eyes looking at him. He loved the limelight. He embraced it. And with a show of power, Zhao shot his fist up in the air. He could tell that his opposition was panicking now.

In his fist was the little blind Earthbender.

She was unconscious.

Or at least, that's what it looked like.

"_ALL OF YOU WHO ARE AGAISNT ME,_" shouted Zhao, "_STOP ATTACKING AT ONCE AND LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS!! IF YOU DO NOT DO ANYTHING WITHIN THE NEXT FEW SECONDS, I WILL RELEASE THIS GIRL!!_"At first, releasing Toph sounded like a good thing. But with a step forward, Zhao was standing over the edge, dangling Toph over the nothingness that was below it. '_Releasing Toph_' is _not_ a good thing.

.

o0o

.

Sokka and Suki both saw the little helpless girl in the clutches of a madman. They felt their throats twist and their lips tremble. And in one unified moment, Sokka and Suki both screamed, "_TOPH!_" But both of them, just like their drifting cries, were utterly useless. They could do nothing but stare.

.

o0o

.

Zuko grit his teeth. Everything was falling apart now. He knew Toph well and somehow, he felt responsible. If he hadn't told Aang to send for the others, then that would mean that Toph's life wouldn't be in danger. Flying beside the airship allowed Zuko to see Toph better. He could see her well, even the small movements of her eyes and lips.

And then he realized that Toph wasn't moving because of the wind. She was conscious—just barely. She was muttering something. Zuko could hear nothing because of the wind. But years of living a suffering life allowed him to sharpen his spying skills.

Zuko was reading Toph's lips.

As Zuko saw her lips move, he followed it with lip-movements of his own. And then, he followed this action with speaking.

"_Bombs…_" Zuko whispered.

And when he realized what Toph wanted him to do, he ducked low and headed towards the airship's underbelly.

.

o0o

.

Katara knew that it was now down to her to save Toph's life. She was the closest one to her and she had the best chance of doing it too. There was only one slight problem, though.

Azula was blocking her path.

"_Burn… Scorch… Fry… Melt…_" dripped Azula with a rabid smile.

Katara realized that Azula was dictating the process in which Azula was going to kill her. But she was unfazed—strong. Azula wasn't the only one with a burning desire for revenge. While Azula had a burning heart, Katara had an icy one. And that force alone was strong enough to counteract Azula's hatred for her.

Too bad Katara still depended on an external source of water. All she had was a satchel's amount of liquid. Azula, on the other hand, had all her internal energy to guide upon.

But Katara was about to get some help.

.

o0o

.

As Azula walked slowly towards her next prey, she couldn't help but be theatrical about it. She walked slowly, dragging her feet across the metal platform. She was playing the 'menacing' act, hoping to frighten the little Waterbender. Her little movements caused abrupt gasps to rise from her mouth. All these things were enough to frighten the little girl—but it didn't.

She would just have to kill her.

But then, she was slowly disappearing.

The Water Tribe peasant was disappearing too.

Even the airship was starting to disappear.

Everything was starting to disappear in some sort of thick fog.

No.

They were entering a large cloud.

At that moment, Azula felt some parts of her body freeze in place. In some other parts of her body, liquid droplets were forming over her skin—and then it froze her. Something was terribly wrong. _This cloud_, she realized,_ is made up of small droplets of water…_

The Waterbender was using all of that water to freeze her again.

With wild anguish, Azula broke free from the crisp frosts of ice that were slowly enveloping her. She moved frantically, trying to break free. When she realized that the ice kept coming and forming, Azula started making fireballs and burned the ice off. She even resorted to blasting them away with the use of her fiery mouth.

When most of her body was free, she turned to the thick fog ahead of her. She could see nothing—not even her own hand. She started throwing more fire at the fog, hoping to hit Katara.

"_**VVVRRAAAAAAA!!**_"

But that fire was instantly consumed by the force of water coming her way.

It was as if the sea had reached up from below and slammed into her.

.

o0o

.

Aang had enough.

This battle had gone on for far too long and it was time to end it. He felt so stupid now. _I'm the Avatar!_ And that made him realize that he should have stopped this before it had even happened. He was just so caught up in all the action and drama that he didn't realize it sooner.

With a slow breath, Aang said, "_I—am—the—Avatar…_"

And the moment everything slid into the clouds, Aang stood up on Appa. Momo skittered away to a safe distance. The Avatar placed his hands above the ground and parallel to it. Aang closed his eyes. He let out a brief breath of air. Since the Avatar was connected to everything living, he could sense where everyone was—Toph, Zuko, Katara, Sokka, Suki, Azula, Zhao—everyone.

When his eyes opened, a bright flash of white light shone from his eyes and briefly lit the immediate surroundings.

When this light disappeared, Aang slowly lowered his hands.

.

o0o

.

Zhao realized that his time-limit was up. No one seemed to have retreated or given up. They just kept fighting. This made Zhao shrug. The others must not care for this girl at all if they were going to continue fighting. _Might as well drop this girl and end her misery…_

And Zhao released her.

But Toph did not fall.

_The fog…_ thought Zhao_. It must be playing tricks on my eyes… This girl isn't falling… It must be the fog or I'm just not seeing clearly… This fog is so thick that I can't see the nose on my face…_

Neither could Zhao see that Zuko, who was standing right beside him, had held on to Toph and pulled her away.

.

o0o

.

Toph opened her useless eyes, but it was her back that allowed her to feel and "see" Zuko. She smiled. She was safe.

"_Did you get my message…?_" she whispered.

Zuko nodded as he ran on the platform. "_You left the bomb bay unsealed when you entered… I got in…_"

"_What about the bombs…?_"

Zuko smiled. "_I took care of that too…_"

.

o0o

.

In that moment, everyone inside the Fire Nation airship realized that the ground was coming up to meet them. Every fight and battle that was happening on the airship came to a halt when all their stomachs started flipping. The airship was falling somehow and it was bringing them with it.

This had all been because of Aang's doing.

Aang, with his control over the Avatar State, used the combined energy of all his past lives and condense their power in his being. With one slow downward push of his hands, Aang was able to collect hundreds of air currents and focus them over the Fire Nation airship.

When the right moment came, Aang pressed all that air downwards.

Now, the airship was forced into an erratic dive from the skies.

.

o0o

.

Sokka's airship was far behind. They did not enter the clouds because Sokka had steered the airship to fall back. And since they were not in the clouds, they were able to see the Fire Nation airship fall from the sky. _Aang is doing this…_ thought Sokka.

Suki was pulling on Sokka's shoulder.

"We have to follow them down!"

Sokka didn't argue and he pushed the control stick forward. The airship slowly leaned forward. And with one pull of the cord, the airship steeply rushed towards the other airship.

"Hold on!" Sokka shouted and he grabbed Suki on the side.

Suki blushed and looked at Sokka. His sense of determination always amazed him. In a way, Sokka was doing more with the airship than anything he could have ever done with a sword.

"Let's go!"

.

o0o

.

Katara bended all the remaining amounts of water vapor from the cloud onto the Kyoshi warriors, freezing them in place so they wouldn't fly off when the airship started to drop. Also, she froze her feet in place.

Azula wasn't faring as well as she grabbed the railing and held. Her hair went up and so did her body. She had no chance to attack. She just held on for dear life.

The Imperial Firebenders who had tried to fight in the cloud were now floating upwards as they did not restrain themselves on the vessel. The only thing that kept them from falling out was the large bulk of the airship.

Zuko was using Aang's staff on the railings and it held him together. Toph was on the metal platform, using the steel to hold her down.

Everyone struggled.

.

o0o

.

Zhao was unaffected by the wind and the force of gravity. He wasn't even moving and his feet were on the platform. But even if he was physically unaffected, his mind was confused and distorted. He was still in disbelief. He could not comprehend that the child he had once thought as a mere target was now easily moving their airship like a baby with a toy.

He talked all the way on the descent. "_The Avatar… His control over the four elements is impressive… I cannot fight something like that… I had underestimated someone yet again…_"

Zhao looked at all the people that were around him. These children had changed since the last time he met them. All of them were powerful and determined.

"_It's possible_," whispered Zhao, "_that they might actually beat me…_"

.

o0o

.

Aang spotted a small extinct volcano right below them. The volcano itself was a small island and the crater opening was just as large as the island itself, making it look like a giant hole in the sea. That was the place where Aang was going to land the airship. That was the place where Aang was going to end this.

Momo went behind Aang as the wind swept violently before them. Their speed was bringing up so much air. Appa and Momo both moaned.

"Just hold on, guys…" spoke Aang cheerfully. "This will all end soon…"

.

o0o

.

The moment the Fire Nation airship crashed onto the ground was not a moment anyone wanted to remember. Although Aang did soften the landing, the breaking force was enough to collapse the entire airship structure—the entire airship just folded and grinded upon impact. The gnashing of metal could make anyone's ears bleed. The ice Katara had used to protect the Kyoshi warriors clearly broke off. Katara could only hope that they were okay. Azula, who had held onto the railings with her body in the air, was now back on the platform. Katara heard some ribs snap. Zuko released his hold on the railings and used the glider as a parachute. Toph had softened the metal to soften the impact. The Imperial Firebenders were actually unharmed as they used fire to slow them down. Zhao just watched all of it happen.

Aang landed Appa when the dust cleared and he faced Zhao.

"_It's over, Zhao! It's time you went back to the Spirit World!_"

Zhao looked at Aang at first. He then turned to Azula. She was getting back to her feet. The Imperial Firebenders were also up. Zhao smiled sinisterly.

"_The fight is not over, Avatar!_" shouted Zhao. "_Azula! Imperial Firebenders! Attack!_"

But Zuko, who was dragging Katara away from the airship, shouted, "_It's over, Zhao! Goodbye!_"

Zhao didn't understand. He just watched as Zuko and Katara run away while Toph lifted the unconscious Kyoshi warriors on a large panel of metal.

"_Goodbye!_"

.

o0o

.

Earlier, inside the airship's bomb bay, Zuko had taken Toph's advice—to light up the bombs. He had gathered some spark powder and lined it up. He extended the line of powder for a few meters, estimating the time it took before his ignition would detonate the bombs. He estimated a few minutes.

Now, the ignited spark powder had reached the bombs.

And the airship exploded into millions of speeding shrapnel. The burst of energy created a fire so big that it consumed everything in its path within a few seconds. Zhao saw it coming and just stood there, as if the sun had come up to greet him.

.

o0o

.

Toph reacted quickly.

"_EVERYONE GET BEHIND ME!!_"

Everyone did. Even Appa and Momo flew behind Toph. With Aang's help, the two rapidly raised three thick walls of earth, one in front of the other.

When the blast came, everyone leaned against the last wall of earth to hold it together. Their surroundings slowly slid into a world of white and the searing heat should have killed them with one strike had not Zuko Firebended the heat away. Flying shards of metal collided against the wall like missiles onto a plank of metal. Some shot so fast that it broke through the first and second walls. The third wall stayed in place and held together. Although some rubble from the third wall did chip off, it remained intact and no harm came to them.

When the explosion finally stopped and the deafening sounds ceased, Aang used Airbending to clear out the smoke.

For the first time since their heated battle had started, everything was silent.

The group huddled together behind the earth wall, silent as stunned people could be. But it was Katara's uneasiness that broke that holy silence.

"_Is it over…?_"

.

o0o

.

_**ZZZZZRRAAAACCCCK!!**_

.

o0o

.

A blinding blast of lighting shot through the top part of the third wall and disappeared into the distance. Everyone was silent again, but now, it wasn't because of relief. It was because of terror. Lightning could only mean one thing: _Azula was still alive_.

Toph turned to Katara, feeling sarcastic.

"_You had to jinx it, didn't you?_"

.

o0o

.

Aang stood up and turned to them.

"Any advice before I go and stop this once and for all?" he said cheerfully.

Katara was angry. "_Yeah! DON'T!_"

Aang shook his head. "You said it was my turn to face Azula. You're right. It is. I have to stop her and Zhao before anybody else gets hurt. You guys are welcome to join me, of course."

Zuko looked up. "We will, but you're the only one that can do some damage. Is it correct to assume that you don't want any of us to kill her?"

Aang nodded.

"Then you have to take her Firebending away," spoke Zuko. "It's the only way we'll ever win this and Azula can harm nobody in the end. My advice is to take her Firebending away—that's it."

Toph punched her left hand. "But before you ruin the party, we dance with Azula one last time!"

Aang looked at Katara. "Are you going to join us?"

Katara sighed. "You're not going to do something as dangerous as this without my help."

Aang smiled.

"Then it's settled."

.

o0o

.

Azula had burned her hair. Most of it had burned into ash. She was now left with a much shorter hair length. The princess did not complain. Her hair had been a nuisance and now it was a lot more fitting.

That was one problem she was able to fix.

_**ZZZRRAAAACCCKKKKKK!!**_

Azula shot another tremendous charge of electric energy through the molten earth wall. Another large chunk of the wall turned into dust.

She then thrust her fists forward, igniting a huge blast of fire.

The last part of the wall turned into dust.

And the only things behind the wall were unconscious Kyoshi warriors, a flying lemur, and a ten-ton flying bison that just stared at her.

.

o0o

.

_**BOOOM!**_

The ground beside Azula broke into millions of pieces and four people shot out of the ground.

Katara moved first, bending the water out of her satchel and turning them into spikes. With whip-like speed, Katara flicked the ice spears towards Azula. She moved them with control—hoping to trap her and prevent her from bending. But Azula shot back with a flashing stream of lightning. The spikes landed at the side.

Zuko reacted next by moving ahead of them and redirecting the lightning into the air. The lightning coursed through his body and surged it out through his other hand.

Toph jumped up from behind Zuko and landed with impact, sending two large rocks into the air. The Earthbender slapped them hard and sent them flying towards Azula. Zuko aided this attack by burning the rocks. Now, the rocks traveled with a tail of fire like mini comets that were just as powerful and just as dangerous.

Azula swatted them aside with a swipe of fire.

Aang made the next approach.

With a strong push, Aang blasted a gale-force wind that spiraled towards Azula. The moving wind was strong enough to rip loose pebbles off the ground.

Azula went on all fours—on the ground with knees and hands. She focused her energy into her mouth. With one scream, Azula forced a large blast of fire towards Aang.

The flame and the wind met head on.

Aang was now using two hands, focusing more and more energy into this single blow of wind. But even as the Avatar, Aang could not blow such strong force. Should he enter the Avatar State? _Did it have to come to that point?_

No.

Aang forced more and more air. He was funneling it in and blasting it towards Azula's fire. Even until now, Azula was still screaming—still using the same breath of fire and the flame held steady. Zuko, Katara, and Toph were lying on the ground as Aang's vortex of air was pulling things off the ground.

But Azula was winning. Her fire was stronger, engulfing the violent wind. Her spirit to kill was much, _much_ stronger.

Zuko, on the ground, turned to Katara and Toph. "_Aang could be in trouble! We have to do something!_"

.

o0o

.

Finally, Sokka landed the airship on the ground. He, Suki, Mai, and the rest of the Kyoshi warriors got off and left the airship on its lonesome. While the Kyoshi warriors tended to their unconscious fallen comrades, Sokka and Suki made their way towards the rest of the gang.

"We have to hurry!" spoke Sokka.

"_We know_!" Suki and Mai shouted in unison.

But then, from the rubble of the exploded airship, four Imperial Firebenders jumped out. The two closest to them were pinned to the ground by Mai's sleight of hand. Her stilettos forced them down—hard.

The third Firebender was pitched into combat by Suki. The Kyoshi warrior shielded herself with every blast of fire. Finally, she hit the man with quick jabs at the end of the man's spinal cord—a Qi blocking technique she had learned from Ty Lee. The Imperial Firebender didn't just lose his Firebending. He fell to the ground, completely unconscious.

Suki smiled over his fallen body and felt pride over her achievement.

The fourth Imperial Firebender snuck behind Suki while she wasn't looking.

But the man fell to the ground when Sokka hit his head with a large rock.

"_Let's go!_"

"_We know!_"

.

o0o

.

Azula and Aang were still locked in the same heated battle. But now, Azula's breath of fire had engulfed Aang's blast of wind. Her fire was now close to Aang's face. Aang's skin was already heating up due to the warmth.

Azula crawled forward. Her flame intensified. She had him in her mind's grasp.

But just as Aang focused on this blast of air, so did he focus on Azula's position. He was ready for his next move.

Aang kicked the ground.

In Azula's point of view, the ground shot up like a cannon and launched her into the air. Azula screamed and screamed in panic as she spun in the wind. Aang sent another scalding blast of wind towards her and it sent her even higher.

And Aang used his glider, jumped into the air, and trailed behind her.

Zuko jumped up next and followed her with a plume of focused fire on his feet. He hovered close to the ground. Meanwhile, Katara melted all the ice spikes on the ground and placed them back into her satchel. Then, she jumped on Toph's earth wave and they too followed Azula.

When Azula landed on the crater wall, she was already surrounded by the four benders.

"It's over, Azula," spoke her brother. "Surrender!"

Azula laughed. "_Never!_"

And she breathed fire again.

But Katara whipped some water onto her mouth and froze the band of ice onto the crater wall, holding her head in place. "That should shut you up!"

Azula was about to melt it with her hands, but Toph used the crater wall to reach out and hold her hands together with earthen binds.

Azula used her feet as a last resort for defense—but Zuko extinguished it with his Firebending and held her fire in check until Aang forced some earth on her feet. She was now immobilized. Azula struggled but she could not move.

They had done it.

Toph stepped back and sat on the ground, tired but relieved. "Alright, twinkle-toes… Do your spirit voodoo and take her Firebending away already!"

Aang nodded. "Right."

Aang stepped forward and lightly placed his hands on Azula's head and chest. He hummed to himself, waiting for his spirit to be released and his energy begin to flow. The mantra had begun. He was ready.

And so was Azula.

Because the moment Aang opened Azula's energy, he realized that somehow, the girl's energy had already been unlocked once before. Something was wrong here. Azula seemed to have learned to bend energy already.

Aang panicked.

But he couldn't stop it now. It was up to the strength of their inner spirits.

There was no turning back.

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o0o

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Sokka, Suki, and Mai went up beside them. Katara hugged her brother. Mai and Zuko embraced too. When the hugging was over, Sokka turned to Aang and the imprisoned Azula and clapped his hands. "Ooooohhhh… Aang's doing it again. This I want to see!"

Katara pointed to the two. "But nothing's happened for the past few seconds. They've just been like that. Are you sure this was how it happened?"

Sokka nodded happily. "Yup. There's going to be some terrific lightshow and I'm glad we got some of the best seats in the house."

Mai sighed. "Nothing's happening…"

"Yeah," continued Katara. "When's it going to—?"

The ground started to shake.

Sokka was giddy with excitement. "Here it comes!"

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o0o

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Aang's eyes opened and a beam of white-blue energy glowed out.

Azula's eyes opened and a beam of dark red energy glowed out.

Both their bodies began glowing under their spiritual energy. Aang shined like a beacon of pure light. Azula's energy was a tainted dark energy that expressed despair, death, and delusion. For a brief few seconds, it glowed that way. They didn't move, didn't twitch. They just stayed in the same position for what seemed to be hours.

The surroundings were bathed under the light of their spirits. The color of the sky was a half-mix of dark red and blue-white.

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o0o

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And then, Azula's energy started to crawl through Aang's fingers.

The tainted energy crawled through Aang's arms, into his shoulders, and through his chest. It continued downwards, to his legs and then his feet. Going upwards, Azula's energy consumed the beam of light in Aang's mouth. It followed the back of his neck and head.

All that was left were the eyes.

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o0o

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Katara was getting rattled.

"_Sokka! Is this supposed to happen?_"

Sokka was uneasy but calm. "This is exactly how it happened during the arrival of Sozin's Comet. I couldn't see much from where I was but I remember the sky suddenly turned red but Aang pulled through in the end and the sky went white. The next thing I knew, Aang took away the Firelord's Firebending. Aang will pull through—_don't worry_," he reassured.

Katara stared back at Aang's remaining white energy. She desperately pleaded that Aang would pull through.

Azula's energy had engulfed Aang's right eye.

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o0o

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The internal battle for Aang and Azula's spirit was fierce. Aang was holding good, but he could not hold on to this wave of dark spirit. Azula's passion for death was fierce and if Aang could not overcome it, the energy would consume him from the inside and his soul would be sucked from within.

Aang continued pushing.

Outside their bodies, the sky was blood-red with one tiny stream of white energy illuminating the sky. It was fading quickly. Aang was losing the battle.

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o0o

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**Aang's spirit was completely consumed.**

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o0o

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A beam of dark red energy rose into the sky and through the clouds.

_The Avatar had lost._

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o0o

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When their spiritual light had disappeared and the ground had stopped moving, Aang fell to the ground. His soul was lost and he didn't even seem to breathe. It was only at that moment that everyone around them realized that something had gone horribly wrong. This shouldn't have happened at all.

"_AANG!_" screamed Katara. "_AANG!_"

She was the first to reach him. Her hands were already covered with water. When she touched his chest, she was happy to know that his heart was still beating—still there.

All Aang's friends had gathered around him. It surprised Zuko to see Mai crying. _She's never cried like this before… What just happened…?_

Katara did the best she could, but there was nothing for her to heal here. Her healing did not include resurrecting the soul. And she was helpless and destroyed. Katara placed her head on Aang's chest, sobbing and crying.

Her sobs were in tune with Aang's heartbeat.

"_Aang…_" she gasped. "_Come on, Aang…_"

Toph slammed her fist of Aang's chest. "_Come on Twinkle-toes! You've never given up like this before! Get up now!_" And she pounded her fist on Aang's chest again.

There was a cough.

Katara looked up. Her face was smothered in tears. When she looked at Aang's face, she felt despair when she realized that the cough had not come from Aang. It had come from someone else.

All of them turned around.

To Azula.

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o0o

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Azula was conscious but her eyes were sealed shut. She struggled with the ice and earth that held her. Her muffled screams to be set free were pathetic and disheartening. Tears were streaming out of her shut eyes and she snorted through her nose. No one had the heart to help her.

And then she stopped crying.

Her eyes shot open.

_They shined a furious white._

Azula pulled free from the earth and her earthly binds turned into rubble. With her hands, she melted the ice. The wind around her feet started to swell up and wrap itself around Azula. Her hair violently swept everywhere around her face. Her teeth were gnashed together.

And the air that was swelling around Azula formed a large sphere with her inside.

Azula rose above the ground.

Her face only showed great anger and fury. The light from her eyes never faded. It was the concentration of all the cosmic energy in the universe through her body. She was more than just powerful.

She was now something else entirely.

Azula thrust her fist downwards.

Everyone on the ground felt the sudden shake of the earth.

When Azula pulled her fists up, the ground exploded in a mix of dust and flying debris. Katara, who was holding onto Aang, was one of the few people that landed face-first on the ground. Everyone shrieked in pain. Azula just watched over them with her bright, shining eyes.

They all cowered in fear.

Katara crawled up to Aang, who lay sprawled on the ground. She picked up his head, whispering. "_Aang…wake up… We need you now…_"

But Aang just lay motionless.

Zuko grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her up to her feet. "_Katara! We need to go! My sister will kill us all unless we move!_"

Katara looked at Aang. "_We can't leave Aang!_"

Zuko scooped Aang into his arms. "_Let's go!_"

They all started running away from Azula. But the beast that had transformed Azula would not let them escape. She opened her mouth wide and a blue fireball shot out towards them. _We're all dead…_ Zuko thought. _We can't save ourselves… I couldn't turn around to stop it…_

But the fire never reached them.

When Katara looked at Aang, she realized that his hand was up.

He was blowing a strong gust of air against Azula's fire.

"_AANG!_"

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o0o

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Zhao appeared below Azula.

"_That's enough, Azula! The longer you are in the Avatar State, the more chance you have of losing it through death. Come down now!_"

But Azula did not stop.

Zhao reached out and grabbed her hand. He pulled her back down on the ground. The sphere of air slowly faded and Azula's feet began to touch the ground. When the air stopped spinning, the bright light from her eyes disappeared and her own eyes returned. She collapsed on the ground.

Zhao placed her on his shoulder like a sack of rice. "_Don't be such a drama queen… We need to go now…_" And he patted her proudly on the back. "_You did well today—exactly as planned. I was right when I chose you…_"

Zhao carried her towards the Earth Kingdom airship.

When he placed her on its platform, he smiled at her unconscious body.

"_We have a long way to go, Princess Azula… You rest well now…_"

And Zhao spiritually moved himself to the abandoned control room. He moved the right switches and lifted the airship into the sky. He took one last glance at his enemies. They all watched him leave. He smiled at them. _How little they knew of my intentions… They lost as easily as they won…_

And Zhao steered the airship back into the horizon.

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**Fire Nation, unnamed Extinct Volcano island (afternoon)**

Everyone was watching Aang recover. He had said nothing since his rise to consciousness. All he could do was drink water and eat—nothing more. The entire group had moved from the inside of volcano to its beach, awaiting rescue since they were stranded and Appa couldn't lift all of them. The rest of the group said very little to one another. No one could speak. Trauma had taken their hearts from them. It would be a long time until they would recover from their defeat. Sokka was right. Today was a life-changing day.

Katara came up to Aang with another satchel-full of water. Aang took it greedily. Whenever Katara looked at him, she could see that his soul was lost and a severe blow of depression was sinking in.

When Aang looked into Katara's eyes, she swore he was going to speak to him.

Aang did.

"_Katara…_" he whispered.

Katara felt tears stinging her eyes. "_Yes?_"

"_Azula took the Avatar Spirit from me…_"

Zuko, Sokka, Toph, Suki, and Mai listened silently. Their worst fears had come true. Aang was no longer the Avatar.

But Aang smiled at them, making their hearts rise for a second.

"_But she didn't take everything, though…_"

And Aang formed a small sphere of air around his hand.

Aang looked happily at Katara. He was crying softly, making his words show more meaning.

"_She didn't take everything…_"

And Aang fell back to silence.

.

o0o

.

Mai kissed Zuko on the cheek. Zuko smiled sadly at her. "_The cheek?_ Is that all you can come up with…?"

Mai punched Zuko on the shoulder. "You expect too much. And besides, that's all you're going to get until you come back."

_If I come back_, thought Zuko. He turned back to Mai. "Why aren't _you_ coming?"

Mai pointed to all the Kyoshi warriors on the beach. "They'll need assistance and I can help them. Ty Lee also needs some encouragement. I just woke her up and she seems down about the fact that her uniform just got blackened in some parts. You know how Ty Lee is about appearance?"

Zuko nodded. Here was a nice enough conversation.

"I have to stay behind, Sokka," said Suki on the other side of the beach. "These are my warriors. They need their leader. So I'm counting on you. You have to bring everything back in order, okay?"

Sokka bowed his head low. "I don't think I can do that…"

Suki took his chin in her hand. "You can."

And they kissed.

Toph was kicking sand all over the beach, feeling disgusted. "_Blech! Everyone's kissing each other!_"

Appa was already on the beach, waiting for the five of them to get onboard. They would if Aang could just listen to them instead of stare into the distance. The wind was blowing their way, picking up sand in the beach. The sunset was behind them, casting their shadows on the sand. Aang had this preoccupied look on his face.

Katara went up to him and held his hand.

"We're all set to leave now," she said. "We're just waiting for you. How much longer is this going to take?"

Aang didn't look her in the eye. "We won't win, you know? Since Azula took the Avatar Spirit from me, that makes her the—"

"I know what that makes her, Aang," spoke Katara. "But does that make her the Avatar? Was she the one who saved the Northern Water Tribe from the attack of the Fire Nation? Was she the one who stopped the Firelord's destruction of the Earth Kingdom? Was she the one who returned to the world to bring back its peace? No. She's no Avatar to me, Aang.

"You are."

And Katara squeezed his hand.

Aang showed no reaction but a simple nod. Zuko, Sokka, and Toph had gathered beside them, watching the sky turn from blue to red and the sun cast shadows of them on the beach.

These were the true heroes of the world.

They were the ones who gave hope despite its lack. They were the ones who fought when everyone else gave up. And now, they were more than heroes. They were legends in their own true right. It took one man to change the world. It took five kids to save it and win against all odds.

And as the dimming sunlight cast long magnificent shadows on the beach, these five would have to rise up and do it once again.

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**(Please take a breather before reading the next few ****things. Recall everything so far and imagine the story once more. What comes next is somewhat similar to the San Diego Comic Con Discussion Panel—except without the reactions from you audience/readers. That will come with your reviews. So, when you're done with the breather, proceed with what I'd like to call, the Avatar Fanfiction Discussion Panel)**

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**Hello reader,**

**This is Kojab8890 with a very appreciative thanks to those who have read up to this eleventh chapter. Thanks a bunch for the reviews! So…since the story has flowed on and a lot have been revealed already, it's time to unveil a few things I had to do to get this Avatar fanfic on the roll.**

**Let's get started.**

**As most of you know, what I'm trying to do is a **_**realistic**_** continuation to the Avatar storyline. Doing that is a lot harder than it seems and there had to be a lot of plot outlining before I could actually put this story down. In fact, the bones for this story were already in my head **_**WAY**_** before the Avatar finale came up. So what stopped me? Here are the guidelines to my idea of writing this **_**likely **_**continuation…**

**.**

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o0o Peace Keeping o0o

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This is a very important factor I had to stress out when I had to write this fanfic. Some of the direct Avatar continuations out there just put something bad that came out of the blue and it completely disrupts the peaceful world and sends our heroes charging off on another wild goose chase. I'm sorry if I'm bashing those who did write these kinds of stories. I'm just saying that I didn't want to write something that way. Mike, Bryan, and the rest of the Avatar storywriters worked so hard to place the world back into peace that it just seems cruel and unrealistic to even start war all over again. That's why Zuko said in chapter 10 that the peace was too strong to break. I can't argue with Zuko. So then came my next problem…

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o0o Raising Conflict o0o

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No story—especially in the world of Avatar—would be interesting if there was no conflict going on. For season one, it was finding a Waterbending Master while reaching the North Pole. For season two, it was finding an Earthbending Master and the fall of the Earth Kingdom. For the third season, it was the Day of Black Sun, finding a Firebending Master, and the battle against the Firelord. So how could I raise conflict when the peace everyone had fought for would just blow up in their faces? I couldn't do that. That would be story suicide.

So the idea was to create a villain that was far worse than the Firelord. Azula was my first candidate, but she was just crazy. Zhao's unclear demise was another choice, but the man was just tactical—not powerful. Was there another choice? Yes. _The Avatar_. Now, I couldn't make Aang some creepy bad guy. That would be stupid. So I thought of Energybending. The story came together and it fell just right. But then, I realized I would still be in conflict with the first problem.

The next thing I had to do was create a random problem. Everyone's always talking about the returning Air Nomads, so I thought of giving that a little spin. The death of the old man was a subtle raise in conflict and the idea started to rise until it made sense with the first problem. Peace still remains, but there are just some things out of their control.

And now, the shattering truth about Avatar Azula is born—and it was presented in a slightly realistic format too. **Since the peace is too strong to break, you'd need the Avatar to break it for you.**

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o0o Squeezing things o0o

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This is probably the most difficult part of making this fanfiction. Now, how could you turn all the beautiful scenery, the colorful dialogue, the awesome soundtrack and voices, the funny twisted emotions, and the things that make Avatar—_Avatar_—into just plain **words**. Truthfully, it can't be done—it just CAN'T. So what I had to do was get the next best thing.

It all came down to the writing style.

This is why I need your reviews so badly. I need to see if they're realistic in a way that you can imagine it as something that Avatar could really do. The fighting scenes are the toughest for me. They need to be fast-paced and yet they have to be described accordingly. There are only so _many_ adjectives you can use to describe each type of bending movement. It's difficult and it requires patience and a whole bunch of jelly worms, I assure you.

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o0o Character Development o0o

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Of course, in all Avatar fanfic continuations, no ending really ends happily. But there are some people that write the characters living clichéd lives. Toph, for example. After the war, she is usually shown as a miserable child back with her parents. I don't think that's realistic at all. (Sorry if I'm bashing again). In fact, I think her parents would come to terms with her. In Zuko continuation stories, he plays little political roles despite the fact that he _is_ the Firelord. Katara is usually played as the "healer" and she seems weak in some other fanfictions. The Katara we know is awesome! And what about Aang? He's the freaking Avatar! He should have some roles as the Avatar. (_Again, I am not trying to offend those that have written fanfics with these ideas. You're stories are amazing. I'm just not doing it that way_.)

I had to play it right and even though I know I played some things wrong, I hope that you people know that I thought of not doing it this way.

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o0o Returning Airbenders o0o

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This has been a problem fans have been prodding the Avatar storywriters since the storyline thickened. It should only make sense that the Airbenders should make a return as the Avatar cycle needs Airbenders so the Avatar could be reborn again. This is all well and good.

But then, why the heck would Mike and Bryan make the title: _Avatar—the Last Airbender_?

Putting Airbenders back into the world would totally go against that title. If I just placed Airbenders back into the story, it would already make it unrealistic. The death of the old man doesn't mean that I placed an Airbender back. No. It's just the spreading rumors that contributed to the story.

So, does that mean that there is no Airbender in this story?

Kojab8890 smiles sinisterly.

He then reaches into your ear and whispers, "_I found a loophole…_"

You'll have to read on to find out…

: )

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**Now just because I tried to make this story realistic doesn't mean I couldn't fool around with some other ideas. Here are some pretty unrealistic ideas that could never happen in a 100 years…**

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1._ Zhao's return_—I have full confidence that Zhao is dead. Period. _But…_ There is no way I could get Azula to have some Energybending without some sort of spiritual interaction. But the only villain to ever encounter a spirit was Zhao when he got caught by the Ocean Spirit. Although most fans believe he's dead, there has been room for doubt. In this story, Zhao is dead—but the misty details that surround his return allow me to grasp his ability to have taken some Energybending. It is realistic to the story. And Azula _can_ use Energybending.

The reason why Azula can Energybend was stated by the Lion Turtle. "_In the era before the Avatar, we bent not the Elements, but the energy within ourselves…_" This means that people _used_ to bend energy—not just the Avatar. It should work. But if Mike and/or Bryan says that Energybending is only limited to Avatars, then my only explanation will be—_'this is a fanfic, dude!'_

So, Zhao's return is a realistic one—I just doubt that anyone would return him any time soon.

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2. _That fifth air sanctuary thingy—_The fifth Air sanctuary does play a minor role in explaining the mysterious Air taker. And it's situated in the Wulong forest—that's in the middle of the four Air Temples if you do your research right. But this thing has mostly been a teaser of sort—something similar to a distraction if nothing less.

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3. _Khai_—This kid is a favorite idea of mine. For each element, there was always a kid who mastered it. Shouldn't there be a kid that could master all the four elements without actually bending them? It is realistic and the kid would be mighty powerful.

Also, the kid and his mother will play more roles—_but you'll only know when you read_. These roles will be important and vital.

And, as I said, this character _could_ happen in the Avatar universe—it just _didn't_.

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4. _Air taking/ Air Sucking (No real name yet)_—This idea has been something I've played about since the middle of season one. In the Wikipedia article about Avatar, it describes Airbending with a fatal flaw: _It has no finishing move_.

Now, this makes sense. After all, the Air Nomads were completely peaceful in nature. Killing people is just something they would not do—as shown by Aang in the finale. So what would happen if they _do_?

Well, that wouldn't make them an Air Nomad no more.

So, who is this mysterious Air taker? An Air Nomad?

The more I explain, the more I'll give clues. The possibility still remains. It _could_ be an Air Nomad.

You'll just have to figure that one out yourselves when you continue reading.

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**Now that I've explained the guidelines of my story and the things I just **_**had**_** to include for the story plot, here are the things to ****look forward to**** in the upcoming chapters and the four-part finale of this dedicated fanfic.**

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1._ Azula's mastery of the four elements_—The only way Azula and Zhao could truly rule the world is if Azula could master the four elements the same way Aang did. That also includes the Avatar State.

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2. _Zhao's origin_—how the heck did Zhao get into our plane of existence and will the explanation be suitable for those die-hard fans out there?

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3. _Ursa's return_—I just hope I can make it subtle and 'touchy-feely' to the readers that love a good emotional act in the story. Of course, balance it out with some realistic situations and events. I don't want you readers just to feel that Ursa returned. **I need you to know that she's always been around the corner…**

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4. _Khai and co. comes back—_Of course this kid will be back! I worked too hard on him to disappear all of a sudden!

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5. _The Final Battle_

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6. _And yes…the mysterious Air taker, revealed_—My freaking summary is all about him. Hopefully you guys will accept the revelations when it comes.

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**The things on top aren't arranged in any particular order. All of the things will definitely happen before the final battle—even the Air taker's identity.**

**.**

**And if you liked this Fanfiction Discussion Panel, then you will be happy to know that there are two more coming your way—one after the 19****th**** chapter and the other after the last chapter.**

**.**

**Also, REVIEW on this chapter as well. I bet you guys forgot all about Chapter 11 with this panel. I just want to know what you guys think—the emotional, action, and narrative parts of it. If you don't review, I guess that's fine.**

**.**

**Now comes the hard part.**

**.**

**I might have to go on hiatus.**

**.**

**This is because I have only sketchy ideas of the chapters that go from 12 to 19. Sure I have some revelations planned, but that doesn't account for the rest of it. That's why your reviews are pretty much necessary for the development of this story. Not just reviews, but ideas. Truthfully, what I had planned for the next chapter was something about Sokka's grief. The original chapter 11 was supposed to end up with Suki dead or fatally injured—just ****not dead yet. The next chapter was supposed to deal with Sokka handling that kind of grief. Everyone would try to cheer him up with all sorts of nonsense stuff (for example, Katara and Zuko would use a hat and some of Sokka's socks and do a puppet show in front of him to cheer him up. Aang would use Sokka's fake beard and do some sort of comedian act. Toph would put on the Kyoshi warrior uniform and cheer him up a bit.) In the end, they would go up to the scene of the Finale and retrieve Sokka's dropped space sword, but people are worshiping it as some sort of "Excalibur". The story goes on, but I can't do it now that Suki's still alive.**

**.**

**So I need your ideas for the next chapters.**

**.**

**I'm not holding the fanfic hostage. I'm just having a serious writer's block.**

**.**

**And the reason I'm making this very dedicated fanfic is because I want to raise a question to all you readers out there. Michael Crichton in his novel, "**_**Prey**_**", said that the number of possibilities that could happen is infinite—but the number of **_**probable**_** things that could happen was much, much limited. Did I limit it right when I made this fanfic? Did I follow all the guidelines? And even if the story is poorly written, then at least I was able to share my ideas with you people.**

**.**

**I am in the mission of raising the '**_**could it happen**_**' factor. I want people to ask what **_**could **__**most likely **_**happen if Avatar continued? That's all I'm really aiming for here.**

**.**

**SO REVIEW! COMMENT! FLAME! AND LONG LIVE AVATAR!**


	12. Chapter 12: The Ripple Effect

It continues...

_Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who have reviewed, especially to Koolchamp, Mr. Watch and Learn, Aryck-something, something, and the rest of you reviewers out there. I realized that I had my work cut out for me as I reviewed each of my reviewers' profiles. I just hope I can hand out the goods. The hiatus was cut short as I decided on the next nine chapters, but still, things would go quite slow. Updates will be posted whenever I can post __or whenever I finish my story. Now, let's begin with the other half of Book Air._

_Disclaimer: I own no part of Avatar, the Last Airbender. But this story and this plot is entirely of my own creation. Any similarities to the official Avatar plotline are mere coincidences or are used for necessary events in the story. The same goes with the characters and settings._

Book 4

_Air_

Chapter twelve:

The Ripple Effect

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**Fire Nation, ****Crescent Island**

Momo skittered around the campsite. The island was void of any vegetation whatsoever and that meant there was no food, no nuts, or no seeds. The only thing that did move on this island was the creeping lava flows from the active volcano on the site. The other living things here were Aang and his company—plus his ever-present flying bison. Some were sleeping on the ground (Toph). Others were using Appa's furry, soft coat as a sort of cushion.

Aang was the only one awake, watching the sunrise as he squat on Appa's saddle.

Momo jumped on his lap suddenly, trying to raise a reaction from the boy, but Aang didn't move. Momo tried licking his hand, but Aang just stared at the sunset. The boy had not slept much that night, always in deep thought. The skin beneath his eyes had darkened considerably.

Despite Momo's fruitless efforts to raise Aang's affections, the little creature continued on. It scampered towards the supplies they had brought along and pulled out one of Sokka's many clubs.

Momo faced Aang and was ready to whirl it around and hit his head.

The lemur began to spin around like a child trying to get more air when they wanted to throw a ball to a great distance. And when Momo released the club, the weapon shot a lot higher than Momo realized.

Below, sleeping on one of Appa's legs, the club hit Sokka on the head.

Sokka was awake.

"_HEY!!_"

Sokka saw Aang on top and thought the kid had finally loosened up and poked some fun at him. Sokka decided to pay him back by throwing the club back at him. But Sokka's drowsiness and his weakness from sleep wronged his aim. The club soared way above Aang's head and Aang didn't even seem to notice it.

Sokka just hoped that no one on the other side had got hit.

"_OW! HEY! WHO THREW THAT?_" shouted Zuko, apparently roused from sleep.

Sokka huddled on Appa's furry leg and feigned sleep.

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o0o

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Zuko clutched the club and placed his other hand on the throbbing pain on his head. _Who threw this?_ The pain was a shocking wake up call from a much needed sleep. Looking around, he saw Katara sleeping on another of Appa's leg. She had this innocent smile on her face. _She's mocking me… She's making me look stupid…_

So Zuko threw the club (softly) and hit her on the head.

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o0o

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Katara was instantly up.

"_HEY! WHO THREW THIS?_"

Katara turned to Zuko who was already up. She looked at him angrily. "_DID YOU THROW THIS?_"

Zuko looked at her, surprised that she was awake. He then turned to the club on Katara's hand and looked extremely puzzled. His face crumpled to form something that looked like confusion and surprise.

Zuko shook his head.

"I didn't throw it."

And Zuko looked away.

Katara looked around to see who else was near enough to have thrown this club. She was sure this didn't just fall out of the sky. _Someone_ had thrown this and she would make sure that that person got exactly what he or she deserved.

"_GOOD MORNING EVERYONE_!" Toph announced as she collapsed her earth tent. She walked towards them with this wide smile.

_She's too perky…_ Katara assumed. _She's clearly hiding something… Well, she'll get exactly what she did to me…_

So, angrily, Katara threw the club at Toph.

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o0o

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Toph launched herself up with Earthbending and the incoming club shot below her feet, missing her entirely. When she landed she pointed at Katara accusingly. "_Are you crazy? You nearly hit me!_"

Katara walked up to Toph and confronted her. "Oh yeah? Well, I wouldn't have _thrown_ it if you didn't hit me in the first place!"

Toph stomped her feet. "I was wrong! You _are _crazy! I didn't throw that stupid thing!"

"How would I know you're telling the truth? And besides, who else would have thrown it? The only one near me was you and…"

Katara turned around. "_ZUKO!_"

Zuko sat up, realizing his cover had been blown. "I only threw it because _you_ had thrown it!"

"_I didn't throw it!_"

Toph picked up the club. "Hey guys… before you start fighting…isn't this Sokka's club?" The moment Toph had said it was the same moment when they started hearing loud snores on the other side of Appa.

Fake snores.

"_SOKKA!!_"

The fake snores stopped at once and Sokka shouted, "_I DIDN'T DO IT!! IT WAS MOMOOO!!_"

.

o0o

.

From a distance, Momo watched as Katara, Toph, and Zuko ganged up to pummel Sokka and teach him a lesson. It was good entertainment but a flying lemur's attention span was too short. The moment the little critter caught sight of a jumping fish in the water, it set out to catch it.

.

.

.

**Seas n****orth of the Fire Nation, A hundred feet up**

"_I've decided to kill you, Zhao._"

Zhao turned around from his post at the airship's large steering wheel. Azula was there at the opening, her face drenched in sweat. She looked at him with wild eyes and her shortened hair hung over her nose. She was breathing heavily and she walked in with poor posture.

Zhao chuckled slightly. "_What was that, Fire Lord Azula?_"

Azula took a step forward. "_Stop patronizing me, Zhao! You've been using me as some sort of weapon. I've seen it! I didn't think against it before but now that I'm the Avatar, I've decided to kill you…_"

Zhao laughed as he turned the steering wheel to the right. "_I'm already dead_," he said happily.

"_But I am the bridge between the other world and our world… I can bring you back there…_"

For a moment, Zhao frowned. The little brat was somehow getting her old sense of intelligence back. She still looked crazy, but her time back in power had somehow sobered her up and she was thinking a lot straighter than she used to. But it didn't matter. Azula still needed his help. "_You can kill me, but you can't. You have no control over this power._"

"_I can trigger the Avatar State again!_" she blustered.

"_No. In my journeys as a spirit, I have learned that the Avatar State is a form of self-preservation that can only be activated when the Avatar is in situations of extreme danger or when you feel a great sense of danger to yourself and for others. You have no control over it._"

Azula spat on the platform. "_Then your plan to take over the world is a pointless one since you cannot use me to your liking… Your weapon cannot attack…_"

Zhao raised a lecturing finger. "_That is why I am needed, Fire Lord Azula. That is why you need me now more than ever. Because the Avatar State can be controlled—it can be mastered._"

"_So you will teach me to master the Avatar State?_"

"_That_," spoke Zhao, "_and the rest of the elements. Even if you do master the Avatar State, you still have no control over the other three elements. What good is being the Avatar if you can only control fire? You have yet to master Air, Water, and Earth._"

Azula looked skeptical. "_And you will teach me these things?_"

Zhao shook his head. "_I cannot teach you, but I will lead you. I will assist you and watch over you. I believe that before winter, you can truly bend all the elements._"

Azula smiled and placed out her hand for a handshake. "_Then it's settled. You help me master all the elements and the Avatar State, and after, I send you back to the Spirit World._"

Zhao raised a brow. That wasn't a very good deal. It sounded more like a death sentence for the dead. But it was better to agree with her to make sure he had her full cooperation.

"_Yes. It's settled._"

.

.

.

**Fire Nation, a hundred feet up**

Sokka was still trying to bandage all of his bruises and he was doing it with his usual grumpy manner. The rest of them didn't speak to him since the club-throwing incident and Katara refused to heal him.

"_BUT I DIDN'T DO IT!!_"

Katara laughed to mock him. "And who do you think started it? Momo?"

Momo squeaked.

The five of them were soaring up in the air like old times. Appa always moaned with happiness, feeling good with the old company again. But Appa was just flying around in circles. No one really knew where they had to go. No one had an idea or plan of action.

In fact, the taking of Aang's Avatar Spirit was so bizarre that there seemed to be no course of action and the group had to rest up when they reached the shores of Crescent Island at the eastern tip of the Fire Nation earlier last night. No one could come up with anything and that was a problem. What do you do when the power of the world transferred into someone sinister—someone evil?

Of course, the obvious answer was: _Get it back!_

But the answer was also a new problem. _How _were they going to get it back and _where_ would they look for it. They did not know where Azula and Zhao had gone to. That was anybody's guess.

The problem was that it was Sokka making the guesses.

"I say we head back to the Fire Nation palace," spoke Sokka seriously. He turned to Zuko. "Your Fire Sages have connections with the Avatar and since Azula is sort of the Avatar now, I bet they can track her."

"The sages can't track her," spoke Zuko. "They don't really know where the Avatar is. They just know that he's ever present."

Toph flung her hands into the air. "We're getting nowhere. We have no idea what's going on. All we know is that there's some evil spirit man running around with that crazy fire-crazed girl, using her as a weapon. And now, she's the Avatar and the world's about to tumble into another mess. This has got to be far worse than facing the Fire Lord. Avatar Azula—just _great_! Why can't some weakling try to rule the world for once? It would be easier for us and our little group."

Katara shook her head. "Can't you see that you're just not helping?"

Toph waved her hand in front of her blind eyes and showed this dopey smile in front of them. "Of course I can't _see_."

But then, Sokka sat up. "But they can't rule the world," he said. Sokka's old genius was shining through his eyes. "They can't because as much as they want to, Azula hasn't mastered the elements yet. She's basically just a Firebender with a really _bad_ temper—"

"A _powerful_ Firebender," Zuko corrected.

"Yes. And she can only use the Avatar State when the Avatar is physically and emotionally threatened. So the only way Azula and Zhao could ever rule the world is if Azula masters all the four elements the same way Aang did."

Katara turned to Aang. When Sokka had brought up his name, she instinctively looked at him. Aang was sitting on Appa's head, not participating in this group discussion. He had effectively shut himself off from them.

Katara turned back to Sokka. "So you're saying that they'll have to find bending masters to teach her. Azula will need masters. Is that what you're saying?"

Sokka nodded. "Yes."

Zuko was getting the gist. "So since Air is the next to Fire in the cycle, Azula will have to find an Airbending master to teach her. But that's impossible. All the Airbenders have been wiped out. All except…"

Katara nodded. "_Aang…_"

The group fell silent.

.

o0o

.

"So Azula could be coming for us," spoke Toph. "Like, _right now…_"

Zuko thought it through. "If Zhao already knew that they would take the Avatar Spirit and that soon he'd need to teach my sister the elements, then he should have told her to kidnap Aang already. But he didn't. They didn't take Aang."

"You have to consider it," spoke Katara. "Think. I doubt Aang would teach his enemy Airbending. Aang would probably fight to the end and Azula would still know nothing about how to move the air." As she said this, she cast an eye on Aang to see if her words got to him. When they didn't, she forged on. "Zhao _knew_ Aang would resist them, so that ruled Aang out. That means that Zhao must have had an alternative plan. He must have found another master."

"You know, it doesn't have to be a master," spoke Sokka. "Aang learned some Waterbending through scrolls. He doesn't necessarily need a master. To learn bending techniques, one essentially needs to see the scrolls or paintings. They're good enough."

"So you think Zhao will be looking for Airbending scrolls or paintings?" asked Zuko.

"Yes."

"I doubt there's a shop with those lying around," spoke Toph sarcastically.

"The Western Air Temple."

Everyone turned to Aang. He was speaking for the first time since sunrise. The others retained their look, showing that Aang's inclusion was nothing really big to them.

Sokka nodded. "Yes. It's the closest air temple to the Fire Nation. That's probably where they're going."

Aang turned back to the reigns. He pulled on them.

"_Appa! Yip! Yip!_"

.

.

.

**The Western Air Temple**

When the airship rose above the mist, Zhao was astounded by the sight. Not because he was looking at temple structures placed underneath a cliff-face or the fact that they resembled cave stalactites, but by the fact that most of it had been undeniably, inexplicably, and impossibly _destroyed_.

"_Th-This can't be…_" he murmured. "_I went here before during my wanderings as a spirit… It was completely intact… There wasn't a single shred of damage… And now…now… It's reduced to rubble…_"

Azula was laughing.

"_What's so funny?_" Zhao said in a deep baritone voice.

"_I remember playing with Zuko here_," she said as if recalling good times. "_We had so much fun…_"

Zhao had to admit that this girl was creeping him out.

He then pointed to one of the few structures that had survived the damage. "_Look. A temple piece that still looks good. We'll go and tie our airship there. This airship looks like it can still float without adding more coal. If we'll need more fuel to keep this airship floating, then we'll resort to burning some of the rubble here._"

Azula licked her lips. "_Yes… burning is good…_"

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.

.

**Fire N****ation, Northern mainland, Xin Sai village**

Appa landed softly, as light as a leaf touching the ground. Sokka jumped off to stretch and pointed to the village houses. "At any rate, we won't be able to reach the Western Air Temple before nightfall. We might as well gather supplies while we're here. Zuko, lead the way."

The village houses were placed in no apparent order. There was a wet market here and the usual run-down eatery. Other things were the inn, the farm, the temple, and the individual huts. The people here were happy. The children were running around, excited to see the visitors and their furry, flying animal. One of them was in touch with news and recognized Aang immediately. The announcement quickly spread. The Avatar was in town.

Aang grunted. "_Not anymore…_"

The group decided to split up to cover more ground. Toph and Sokka decided to go for food and supplies. Katara went to find a place to spend the night. Aang asked Zuko to lead him to the Fire temple.

Zuko knocked onto the temple's brass doors.

A peculiar man poked his head outside the temple.

"_I owe you people nothing!_" he shouted.

"We're not from here," spoke Zuko.

The Fire Sage looked from Zuko to Aang. The man noticed Aang's robes and his odd arrow tattoos. "An Airbender…" he gasped. The man stepped out the door and bowed to both of them. "Is there anything you would want to see?"

Zuko pointed to Aang. "Not me. My friend would want to meditate inside the temple. Is that okay with you?"

The Fire Sage looked at Zuko. "How much is he going to pay me?"

"None."

The Fire Sage sighed. "Alright… Just get in quick."

And Aang stepped inside.

.

o0o

.

For some reason, Aang felt powerless without the Avatar Spirit. He felt like all the things he had learned and practiced for so long went down the sinkhole. Now, he was just an Airbender. A year ago, he would have been happy of this predicament. But now, he wasn't too sure.

So Aang was going to ask Roku.

Only, he felt like he didn't know how.

"_You're uncle said he went to the Spirit World before_," Aang spoke earlier. "_How did he do that?_"

Zuko had been confused. "_Did he say that?_"

"_In the North Pole… And you were unconscious at the time…_"

"_Oh…_" said Zuko. "_Well, I never knew._"

Aang had sighed. It had been easy contacting Roku with the Avatar State, but with it gone, Aang would have to find another way and since he remembered Iroh saying that he had been there once, maybe there was a chance for him—he just didn't know how.

Aang turned to the Fire Sage. "Is there any way I can contact Avatar Roku?"

The Fire Sage looked at the boy. "Avatar Roku is dead, son."

Aang sighed even more. This man was too slow. "I mean…is there a way I can contact him in the _Spirit World_."

"Now why would you want that?" asked the Fire Sage.

"I need his wisdom," said Aang.

"You can ask me for wisdom," spoke the Fire Sage. "I'm pretty wise, you know."

Aang nodded slowly. "I can see that…"

The Fire Sage held his chin high as they walked through the lit corridors of the temple. "What is your question then?"

"How can I contact Avatar Roku in the Spirit World?"

The Fire Sage began rubbing his temples with dexterity, as if he was thinking hard and the answer would explode right out of his skull. Aang could see that the man looked rather constipated in his position, but then—"_I've got it!_"

"I'm all ears," said Aang.

"You'll need a celestial event of some sort. Those things always bring up the Spirit World. Mediation can bridge you there."

"_Of course_," spoke Aang quietly to himself. "_I had contacted Roku for the first time during the Winter Solstice… And I did it without help from the Avatar Spirit… That's how I'll get to the Spirit World… That's how I'll talk to Roku…_"

The Fire Sage eyed Aang strangely. "You talk to yourself a lot, don't you?"

Aang didn't answer him. Instead, he asked, "When's the next big celestial event?"

The Fire Sage raised a knowing finger. "There are four major celestial events that occur every year. You have the Winter and Summer Solstice and you have the Spring and Autumnal Equinox. The Autumnal Equinox is approaching in a few days. I suggest contacting Avatar Roku then."

Aang nodded. "Thank you so much."

The sage bowed low. "I told you I was wise."

And then, as the two entered the room where the statue of Avatar Roku stood, something strange happened.

.

.

.

**Western Air Temple, Air sanctuary**

The large doors of the Air sanctuary had been broken down when the Air temple had been assaulted. Zhao and Azula were able to walk in but the insides were quite dark and Azula refused to light the room with Firebending. Zhao resorted to using a long stick of wood and lighting it up with heat from the airship's engine.

The room was filled—bottom-up—with statues. Avatar statues. They were arranged in a spiral pattern with the most recent in the center.

Zhao seemed to be the only one interested. Azula was not.

"Why are we here, Zhao?" spoke Azula.

"_We're finding ways to teach you Airbending…_" Zhao answered.

"This room is full of statues, Zhao. I think we had better chances of finding scrolls in the 'All-day Echo room'."

Zhao groaned. He was receiving more lip from this girl than ever. He liked her better when she was just a mindless fighting machine. Now, she was getting back her brain. He hated that. "_Just go out and look around, Azula. I'm in charge of teaching you…_"

When Azula didn't respond, Zhao turned around and realized that the girl had already walked out.

.

o0o

.

Azula fretted with her new shorter hair. It still smelled like smoke and ash. There had been times when she cared about her appearances and this seemed like one of those times. But luckily, she liked it. It seemed like she had cut any ties she had with her estranged family. Now she was on her own and she was now more powerful than anything in the world. But her hair still smelled.

Azula walked up to the fountain which apparently didn't get so damaged.

Azula bent low and cupped the water with her hands and released it over her head. She savored the coldness of the water and its staleness. It felt so good.

"_Azula… Your hair…You always had such beautiful hair…_"

Azula's eyes went wild.

For the past few weeks, she had avoided looking at mirrors, but she realized too late that the water in this fountain mirrored her face. And on the reflection, Azula could see her mother standing right beside her, smiling.

Azula turned around.

Her mother was there.

.

o0o

.

"STAY BACK!" Azula screamed. "_Stay back!_"

"_Why, Azula? Why won't you allow me to love you?_"

Azula was becoming hysterical, grabbing her hair. "I'm a monster! You cannot love a monster!"

"_I have always loved you, Azula… Always…_"

Azula turned around to the water and started burning the liquid with punches. Tears flowed from her eyes. "_GO AWAY! GO AWAY!_"

Her mother stepped closer. "_Please… Don't do this to yourself…_"

And her mother's hand touched Azula on the shoulder.

Azula shut her eyes.

A second later, her eyes opened and shined white.

A sphere of air circulated around her and the violent vortexes started to destroy everything within reach. The fountain was obliterated by the wind. The entire temple began to shake.

.

o0o

.

Inside the Air sanctuary, Zhao was feeling all-powerful. He did this by stepping in the very center of the Avatar continuation cycle—playing as if he was the next in line to become Avatar. He laughed at this and he loved it.

But he stopped.

The ground began to shake.

Zhao turned to the nearest Avatar statue.

The eyes on the statue began to glow. They all glowed. The entire room began to glow with the light of the Avatars.

Zhao realized at once. "_Azula…_"

.

.

.

**Ba Sing Se, Upper Ring, Avatar altar**

Iroh decided to transfer his picture of Lu Ten with the many other pictures into the temple. His son deserved a sacred place to rest and the temple here was perfect. As soon as he was done with this small order of business, Iroh walked out of the temple, passing by the wall of Avatar paintings.

The ground began to shake.

"What's going on?" he asked one of the men.

"I don't know!" said the man, but then, he pointed to the Avatar paintings. "Look!"

The eyes of each Avatar began to glow with intensity. And the shaking continued.

And then, cracks started forming on the wall, nearly breaking it apart.

"_What's happening?_" shouted Iroh.

"_It's the Avatar! But something's wrong! The wall has never cracked before!_"

Iroh knew the man was right. The problem was enormous. The wall shouldn't break under any circumstance. This was a problem with the Avatar. The boy must be in devastating danger.

The balance was falling apart.

.

.

.

**Fire Nation, Royal Plaza, Fire Temple**

Fire Sage Shyu was entranced by the glow in Avatar Roku's eyes. The statue had come alive and seemed to be staring right through him. His father had always told him what it was like when _his_ father spoke with Avatar Roku. He said that Roku's eyes could pierce the heart, but it could make anyone smile. It made you feel safe.

But Shyu didn't feel safe.

Roku looked angry.

And the temple shook again and again. Shyu fell to the ground. The other sages helped him up but they could only stare with wonder as Roku's eyes began to pierce their hearts as well.

.

.

.

**Fire Nation, northern mainland, Xin Sai village, Fire Temple**

Aang and the Fire Sage watched as the eyes on Avatar Roku's statue began to glow a furious white. The ground around their feet began to shake. Loose dust on Avatar Roku's statue began to crumble off.

The shaking became stronger.

Pretty soon, large pieces of the statue began to fall off. Roku's hand fell off and a large chunk of his robe broke off. A part of the beard broke away. But the eyes never changed and the face never changed.

Aang knew what was happening.

Azula had triggered the Avatar State.

"_What's happening?_" spoke the Fire Sage.

"_It's the Avatar State!_" shouted Aang.

The Fire Sage stepped back. "The Avatar has returned!"

Aang looked at the man oddly. "_What are you talking about? The Avatar returned a long, long time—never mind…_"

.

.

.

_And the whole world shook…_

.

.

.

**Western Air Temple**

Zhao appeared right beside Azula and shouted. "_Azula! Stop this immediately!_"

But Azula would not stop. Her hands were placed in front of her stomach, holding the air sphere together. And despite the fact that her eyes glowed with the cosmic energy of the universe, tears streamed down them. _She was scared_, Zhao could see.

"_Azula! Stop this!_"

Azula continued. Then, she reached out with one hand and touched Zhao on the forehead. The moment her finger connected with Zhao, there was a flash of brilliant white light in his eyes.

Zhao started to scream in agony.

"_STOP AZULA! STOP THIS, NOW!!_"

The light in Azula's eyes began to fade away and her hand was pulled back from Zhao's forehead. Zhao stumbled back. The air sphere disappeared and Azula fell to the ground.

Zhao looked at his hands and realized that they faded slightly in color. He was stunned. Azula had done what Zhao feared would happen soon. She had almost placed him back into the Spirit World.

Azula lay on the ground whispering: "_Stay…away…mother…_"

Zhao looked around.

No one was there.

.

.

.

**Fire Nation, northern mainland, Xin Sai village**

Sokka pounded his fists on the temple's brass doors. "_Open up!_" He shouted. And when no one from the other side responded, Sokka continued to pound on the doors. Katara and Zuko were shouting right beside him. "_Let us in!_" shouted Katara. "_Can anybody hear us?_"

Sokka turned to Toph. "Come on! Open this door!"

Toph went in between them. "Everyone step aside!" And Toph cracked her knuckles. She then turned to Sokka. "You might not like what's behind the door…"

"Just get it open!" shouted Katara.

Toph surrendered. "Alright… I warned you guys anyway…" And placed her hands on the brass doors and crumpled them open, like a person pulling curtains aside.

On the other side of the door were Aang and the Fire Sage. The Fire Sage was holding a key in his hand, reaching for the door. But the man had stopped in mid-action and was now looking at the outsiders with a slack jaw. His beautiful temple door had been folded apart.

Katara waved awkwardly at the two of them. She turned back to Toph.

"_Alright… You can close it now…_"

Toph smiled, contended. She held the brass doors again and sealed them shut.

.

o0o

.

"So let me get this straight," spoke Sokka. "You think that Azula got into the Avatar State and that made Roku's statue light up and the ground shake. You think that something bad is going to happen?"

"It's already happening," spoke Aang. "That's why I have to contact Roku. I think he knows more about this than I do. I will contact him on the day of the Autumnal Equinox, where the sun stays in one position over the center line of the earth."

"When is that?" asked Katara.

"Tomorrow."

Toph whistled. "What do we do until then?"

Silence.

"Oh!" shouted Toph. "I've got one! What did you guys do before all of this happened? A sharing of experiences would be nice."

Katara eyed Toph. "I don't think now's the time for that…"

Toph sighed. "You're no fun, Sugar Queen. What about the rest of you?"

"Oh!" proclaimed Sokka. "I became a prince! How cool is that?"

Silence.

"I said experiences—not fantasy stories," said Toph.

Sokka crossed his arms. "Well, what about you? What have you been doing in Ba Sing Se?"

Toph smiled. "Iroh's been giving my family tea every week. That's pretty cool."

Katara smiled. "Mmhmm… I could go for some of Iroh's tea right about now."

Zuko turned to Toph. "How is my uncle?"

Toph shrugged. "Still the same, I guess. The last time I saw him, we were fighting for our lives against a bunch of archers and the Dai Li. Your uncle went to warn the Earth King."

Zuko nodded.

"What about you, Aang?" asked Sokka happily. He was getting the flow of the conversation. "What have _you_ been doing as the Avatar lately?"

Toph and Katara slapped their foreheads. Zuko shook his head. Aang eyed Sokka.

Sokka just smiled. "What?"

Silence.

The group started walking towards the inn. Sokka was left behind.

"_WHAT? WHAT DID I SAY?_"

.

.

.

**Ba Sing Se, Upper Ring, Jasmine Dragon tea shop**

"Joo Dee," spoke Iroh. "I'll be taking a short vacation."

Joo Dee, one of the many tea makers that worked for Iroh at the tea shop, looked at Iroh and smiled. This was a real smile—something she did not use for quite some time. "Yes, sir," she spoke politely. "Is there anything you want to leave behind?"

"No. No. I believe you of all people know how to handle the shop."

Joo Dee bowed. "Thank you, sir."

Iroh started walking towards his room when Joo Dee talked him into a question. "_Is there any particular reason why you're leaving?_"

Iroh smiled. "Something's come up. Did you find the barge passes I asked you earlier this morning?"

Joo Dee nodded. "Yes, sir. They're by the flower."

Iroh smiled and sighed heartily. "Very good."

"And where will you go?" asked Joo Dee.

Iroh turned away and walked. "_I'm going home…_"

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.

.

_Finally, I've got a good story outline going on. It'll be put to the test with every chapter addition and we'll see how that works out. I guess my hiatus ended quite shortly. It didn't even last a whole week, I think. Thanks for the reviews so far and for the readers that loved the story._

_For those that have read my reviews, I would like to point out that Mr. Watch and Learn is indeed correct. I made a frequent mistake by saying that this story was actually probable. The story is improbable. But that's exactly what I come to expect in Avatar. I rely on this improbability. After all, there were a bunch of illogical occurrences that happened in the Avatar storyline already._

_In fact, the most improbable part of the Avatar storyline happened when the entire story began. What are the odds that when Katara would find the Avatar in the iceberg, Zuko would be patrolling the South Pole at the same time? The odds of the two meeting at the exact same place and time with all their destinies set for them would be so astronomically high that you could almost say that it was a set-up. (Which it was _: ) _Thank you Mike and Bryan! )_

_So, thank you Mr. Watch and Learn for pointing that out _: )

_But of course, Zhao's return would be justified as the story continues._

_So let me hear from you readers. And yes, this episode mirrors "The Southern Air Temple" episode. It's only reasonable that the reaction on Azula should have a diverse effect on the world._

_There's more to come and more to expect. __Questions and uncertainties are always a welcome. Reviews are good too._


	13. Chapter 13: The Autumnal Equinox

It continues...

_Author's Note: __I was able to create this story with some ideas I had thought of when I was thinking about the Avatar universe. There were some scenes that I wished would come out and I've decided to add it here. Hope this is good and hope you enjoy the read. I just hope I can hand out the goods. The hiatus was cut short as I decided on the next nine chapters, but still, things would go quite slow. Updates will be posted whenever I can post or whenever I finish my story. Now, let's begin with the other half of Book Air._

_Disclaimer: I own no part of Avatar, the Last Airbender. But this story and this plot is entirely of my own creation. Any similarities to the official Avatar plotline are mere coincidences or are used for necessary events in the story. The same goes with the characters and settings._

Book 4

_Air_

Chapter thirteen:

The Autumnal Equinox

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.

.

**Fire Nation, northern mainland, Xin Sai village**

It began with an attack.

Four men happened to be injured. All over their bodies were bizarre scratch marks from some unknown animal. These four men delivered food between other villages and they also spread any news. Now, the news was on them. They were found lying on the ground moaning in agony. They recounted what had happened. All of their stories were exactly the same.

They were walking back to the Xin Sai village during the wee hours of the morning. It was always advised that they stick together and never go anywhere alone because the wilderness was filled with all sorts of wild creatures. Staying in a group helped to defend them.

But not that night.

"_It was a huge ferocious Tiger-dillo with jutted spikes on its back!_" said one of them when they were asked.

"_Not one!_" said another. "_Four! But there were more! They hunted in packs and struck us down! We could have died with those claws!_"

"_It wasn't just the animals_," spoke the third. "_The air was like ice and the trees were dying and withering before our eyes. Death. These animals were death._"

The fourth man couldn't tell his side of the story. The animal had scratched his mouth and face. But no matter how frightening and ominous these claims were, there was no other evidence to show for it. Those that were brave enough to challenge the animal and drive it away from the village realized that there was nothing. In fact, the place where they had found the four men earlier was left undamaged. The only thing that was odd was the four village men themselves.

And after further scrutiny, they realized that these men didn't seem to be attacked by a creature with large claws at all. In fact, the injuries looked more like scratch marks from a rake.

So these men, probably drunk the night before, had probably hurt themselves with a rake.

But there were no rakes found.

And that was just the first incident.

.

o0o

.

The second incident was equally bizarre but no one got injured. A family living by the quayside was waking up from sleep. When the father went to the kitchen, he found his little son staring out the window. The father reported that he looked so serene that he thought his son had lost the means to speak.

"_Is something wrong, son?_" his father asked.

The boy pointed out the window and looked at his father. "_There are monsters outside…_"

The father saw the monsters. He stated that they were large animals with armored plates on their backs. They had sharp teeth and they stood as high as two men. And of course, there were six of them. They all surrounded the hut.

A raking sound resonated from the front door.

"_I'll get it_," said the son.

The father stepped forward and raised a hand. "_Don't answer the door…_"

The raking sound went louder. The father could see that outside the window, the world was getting blacker and blacker. The air was cold. The house began to shake. He didn't know what to do.

But they disappeared immediately.

The mother stepped into the room. "_What's going on?_" she spoke, rubbing her eyes. "_Who were you talking to?_"

The father looked down and realized his son was not there.

A shiver ran up his spine.

He remembered that his son died two years ago.

.

o0o

.

Katara sat beside Aang on the table. Everyone was unusually quiet today. Even Sokka refused to speak. They had all gathered at the eatery for a good helping of breakfast and a chance to reminisce on old times. And as Katara sat beside Aang, she gave him a smile. "How was your sleep last night?"

Aang poked his vegetables with a chopstick. "It was okay… But I've been feeling slightly woozy today."

Katara placed a hand on his forehead. "You're fine. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with you."

Zuko was the last to sit on the table. He carried a tray filled with rice and small meat. "There've been attacks. Everyone's talking about them. They all think they're Tiger-dillos attacking but some aren't too sure. I guess I'll look into it. After all, we've got nothing to do today."

Sokka placed a small dumpling in his mouth. "Tiger-dillos, you say?"

Zuko nodded. "There have been a number of eye-witness accounts."

Toph bit into an especially large piece of meat. "What about you, Aang? What are you going to do today?"

Aang's eyes were downcast. "I'm hoping to contact Roku today. The Equinox is approaching. He has answers. He knows what I should do."

"Let's hope," spoke Sokka. "For the sake of the world."

.

.

.

**Western Air Temple**

Zhao had dumped a dozen scrolls at Azula's feet. All of them contained bending movements and ways to manipulate air. Azula picked one of them up. This particular scroll contained information on controlling air currents. Zhao looked at the scroll and nodded to himself.

"_That's a basic Airbending move, I think_," spoke Zhao. "_It is far easier to bend air that is already moving than moving air on your own…_"

Zhao asked Azula to sit down and she followed. He then began to teach. "_I have learned the principles and foundations of Airbending during my travels. I know that Airbending is a thoroughly dynamic bending art. It relies heavily on a person's center of gravity—using centrifugal force to steer oneself around an opponent's attacking strike. Most movements frequent the usage of 'circle-walking' and arcs. This allows the bender to push a large amount of air. Also, the art is mostly defensive. The Air Nomads believed that harming life was forbidden and that molded their entire bending style._"

Azula chuckled lightly. "It shows what little the Air Nomads knew about the struggles of life. No wonder they're all dead."

"_Not all_," reminded Zhao. "_That's why you have to learn this—to prepare for the next encounter._"

Azula looked at the scroll again. She saw the paintings and how one needed to bend the air. The hands had to spiral—one going up and the other going down. The air current would rotate around the body and the air would blow forward.

A breeze blew right on her face.

Azula placed the scroll on Zhao's hand. Zhao looked at her. "_What are you going to do?_"

"I'm going to try."

Zhao nodded. "_Then keep this in mind. Airbenders barely root themselves to the ground, unlike the principles of Firebending. Proper breath control is still needed. Air is an erratic and explosive element, Azula. Circular motion is its basis. Stance isn't really needed._"

Azula didn't nod, but she mentally acknowledged this. _Move like the air._

A breeze blew right into her.

Azula spun her hands once and pushed her left hand upward; the other, pushed down. The breeze that blew into her face slowly swirled around her abdomen and up her left hand. The effect could barely be seen, but the breeze had changed paths. A smile reached Azula's lips.

Zhao clapped his hands. "_Excellent motion, Az—_"

Azula jumped into the air and spun around. She landed as soft as she could and snapped her palms forward. A surge of violent wind blasted from behind her. It moved ahead of her and across the temple floor.

Azula smiled more.

But then, the air that came from behind her pushed even more and Azula was snatched right off the ground. Azula couldn't help but shout. "_Ah!_"

She did a flip in the air and landed flat on her stomach.

When she looked up, Zhao was leaning over her.

"_Maybe you should start with the easy ones first…_"

.

.

.

**Fire Nation, northern mainland, Xin Sai village****, Fire Temple**

"I'll see you guys later," Aang said.

"Count on it," answered Sokka.

Katara, Sokka, Zuko, and Toph walked away from the temple doors. They had just dropped off Aang so he could meditate in the temple and contact Avatar Roku. The sun was tracing a line in the sky. The Equinox would start soon.

Then suddenly, "_Look!_"

The group turned to the man who had shouted. The man seemed to be pointing to the forest. An odd mist seemed to be descending from its interior. The air had turned icy. Sokka was shivering. "Something's not right… Winter is still far off… And I don't even think the Fire Nation has a 'winter'."

Zuko looked at the approaching mist and how the lights of the sun were suddenly blotted out by the fog. A creeping chill ran through them. The plants withered and died off.

"I don't like this…" Zuko whispered.

"I'll see if I could take the fog away."

Katara spread her hands at her sides and slowly lowered them. The mist stayed the same. Nothing had happened. "I can't bend it! This isn't really a mist."

"What have we got ourselves into this time?" asked Toph.

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble.

Sokka was backing up. "What's doing that?"

Toph turned to Sokka. "What's doing what?"

"Can't you feel it?" asked Zuko. "The ground is shaking."

"No."

Then, suddenly, the mist parted and ten large creatures revealed themselves. All of them had gray, studded plates on their backs. They had sharp teeth and their eyes glowed. The townsfolk were in panic.

"Why is everyone screaming?" Toph shouted.

This was the third incident.

.

o0o

.

Oblivious to all that was going on outside the fire temple, Aang began to meditate. He squatted on the ground and knocked his knuckles together. In his thoughts, he erased all the disruptive thoughts that would disturb him from this meditation.

"_Roku…_"

Aang peeked out and saw that no one was there. Neither had something happened. There was no Spirit World in front of him either. He would just try harder.

Aang concentrated on all the things that connected him to the cosmic energies of the universe. One of the things the monks would tell him was that everything in the world was part of the bigger universe. Even his soul held the cosmos. And now, he had to bring it out into reality and place himself in another world.

"_Roku…?_"

Aang peeked out again and he still saw nothing. Nothing had changed.

Aang opened both his eyes and looked at the ceiling.

"_Anybody…?_"

.

o0o

.

"It's times like this when I wish I had my sword back!"

Sokka's rants could do nothing to hide the underlying fear in his voice. Katara and Zuko were glaring at the creatures. Katara held a floating swirl of water while Zuko, with fists clenched, had fire daggers spurting out of his hands. Toph was doing the most cowardly thing she had ever done in her life—she was hiding behind Sokka.

"_I can't see anything!_" she cried in defense.

"And _you_ think _I_ can _protect_ you? I don't think these things are even alive!"

Zuko turned to Sokka. "What do you mean they're not alive?"

Katara realized what Sokka was talking about. "The huge Tiger-dillos, the unbendable mist—are you saying this is a spirit thing?"

"Remember the days before the Winter Solstice?" spoke Sokka. "When Aang was asked to face down this White and Black spirit—Hei Bai—the old man of that village said that during the days of the Solstice, the Spirit World and the real world sort of _collided_ into one another. These things must be coming from the Spirit World! And they're coming because it's the Equinox!"

Katara shook her head. "But that doesn't make any sense… When Hei Bai attacked, he was angry because his forest got burned down. These…_things_…shouldn't be here at all…"

"Not quite," spoke Zuko. "The village of Xin Sai is famous for its wild Tiger-dillo delicacy. They stopped making the food years ago because they had killed off all the wild Tiger-dillos. Maybe that's why they're here."

"Years ago?" asked Katara. "That can't be right. Spirits usually respond sooner than later—_I think_. Maybe we should ask Aang about this."

"What's the point," interrupted Toph. "What we need right now is the Avatar. From what you're telling me, these Tiger-dillo spirits don't seem quite happy…"

"But Katara's right," Sokka continued. "These spirits should have responded then. This isn't right… And another thing… Hei Bai had been the spirit of the forest. If what Zuko's saying is true, then all these spirits are just the spirits of themselves. They have _no right_ to return. Oh, who's that…?"

"_I can see monsters,_" said a child coming out of the mist. He looked at them.

The hairs on the back of Sokka's neck stood on end. He stepped back and took out his club. Turning to Toph, he whispered into her ear, "_Can you feel him through your feet?_"

Toph swallowed hard. "I can hear him but I can't feel him…"

And then, more children stepped out of the mist, walking towards them with soulless eyes. The townsfolk gave a horrid gasp. Sokka was getting hysterical, raising his hands in the sky and screaming: "_The dead have returned!_" And the boy started running around Toph, making circles while he wailed crazily. Toph kicked the ground and a small mound of earth came across Sokka's path and made him stumble.

"Thanks Toph," Sokka said sincerely.

"Hey, someone has to slap some sense into you. I'm just happy that I'm doing all the slapping."

Meanwhile, Katara placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder, pointing at the children's faces. "These children look sick… It's like a plague hit them all… And judging by their clothing, I can tell that they didn't die years ago. Maybe three years or two…"

Zuko nodded. "Yes, I see…"

Katara turned to Zuko. "Did you know of any sicknesses that spread throughout the Fire Nation?"

Zuko shook his head. "Never. And besides, if ever there was any plague of some sort, then I would never know. I had been…uh…hunting Aang back then…"

"_Guys…_" said Sokka. "_We have a problem…_"

Katara and Zuko turned around. When they saw Sokka alone and the large spiritual Tiger-dillo behind them, they realized the problem.

Toph had been snatched by a spirit.

.

.

.

**The Western Air Temple**

"_Avoid me, Azula! AVOID!_"

Zhao was ruining Azula's concentration. Instead of helping her learn Airbending, the man was pelting her with all sorts of verbal abuse. And Zhao wasn't just using verbal abuse. The man was also throwing some good fists and punches at her, forcing her back. Zhao told her that this training was to make her understand Airbending as a fighting skill—although Azula did see that Zhao was rather enjoying himself.

When Zhao sent a strong enough punch directed for her solar plexus, Azula jumped back and high. To her dismay, the air did not catch her and lift her up the way she thought it should. She still had a lot to go before she could augment air into every step.

_Send me a wind, please…_ Azula begged in her mind. _Send me a breeze so this spirit-man would shut up…_

A breeze went to her hands, passing through each of her fingers. A moment of triumph filled her soul. She was ready to—

Zhao kicked her again into the solar plexus. She landed hard on the ground.

"Uh!" she gasped and she grasped her chest.

"_I said avoid!_" Zhao snarled. "_Airbending doesn't allow you to wait for the perfect moment to strike! You either get away from the attack or you avoid it altogether!_"

"That is cowardice!" shouted Azula.

"_That is 'Airbending'_," restated Zhao.

Azula stood up and walked in the other direction. "Then I want my next lesson to begin tomorrow! I am in no mood to do more."

Zhao appeared in front of her in a green flash. "_Calm down, little girl…_"

Azula spat. "'Little girl'? What happened to 'Fire Lord Azula'?"

"_Calm down, Fire Lord Azula. I understand your need to rest. I will allow it. But in situations where you are infuriated, I suggest meditation. That's what the monks used to do and that's what you'll do…_"

"Meditation!" Azula blasted.

"_Yes… And it will hold that anger down…_"

"I've had enough of you!" And Azula walked towards the cliff-face. "Let's see what happens when your ultimate weapon jumps from the height of eighty feet." Azula stepped over the edge.

But Zhao grabbed her by the collar. He grabbed her violently and threw her to the ground. "_I SAID MEDITATE!_"

There was no need to meditate. Zhao's sudden fury had subdued Azula of her anger. She was no pulling back inside her mind. She thought of happy thoughts.

.

o0o

.

Zhao smiled, realizing that Azula had her knuckles together, meditating. He brought her up to a squatting position and wiped the drool of her cheek. He resisted the urge to punch her and to laugh when he imagined doing it.

_If only I could have burned her_, thought Zhao. _I miss being able to Firebend. There are disadvantages to being a spirit._

Zhao waited for thirty minutes. He decided that he would give her only a few seconds to rest before he would bring her back to Airbending practice. When the thirty minutes were over, Zhao politely kicked her in the gut.

Azula did not stir.

Zhao sighed and slapped her on the face.

Azula did not move.

Zhao decided to be more thorough and he pulled open one of Azula's eyelids. He stopped instantly when he realized that they were glowing white.

.

.

.

**Fire Nation, northern mainland, Xin Sai village, Fire temple**

Aang's knuckles were turning red. He had pressed against them too hard and now they felt sore. The Airbender was on the verge of tears. How much had he lost already? He had lost everything from his past. He had lost his Avatar Spirit. And now, he was so incredibly happy to learn that he could no longer venture into the Spirit World. Aang brushed his eye with his arm.

"Crying, child?" spoke the Fire Sage as he entered the room where he meditated.

Aang looked away grumpily. "I have something in my eye."

The Fire Sage chuckled. "If you have something _in_ your eye, then wiping it from the _outside_ would not get it out. I thought the Avatar knew that, being a wise being after all."

Aang looked up, surprised. "You knew all along that I was the Avatar? But yesterday, you said—"

The Fire Sage held a hand up. "I know what I said. It was an act. I knew trouble when I saw it. I could sniff trouble. And seeing the Avatar was always a sign of trouble for me. But I realize now that I have an important role as sage. I have to assist the Avatar."

Aang looked down. "I _was_ the Avatar."

"You will get nowhere with that kind of thinking," spoke the sage. "You cannot lose what you are born to be. When a child is born a painter, undoubtedly, he has the heart of the painter despite the fact that he grows up to be a fighter. A child that is born a builder will find it hard to find a profession that forces him to demolish things. The same can be said to the child that is born an Avatar. You may turn out to be someone else, but you will always be the Avatar, Avatar Aang."

The man touched his forehead. "Now concentrate, Avatar Aang. Close your eyes and _believe_ in yourself."

Aang closed his eyes.

"I still don't believe," spoke Aang to himself.

The Fire Sage responded, but his voice sounded distant. "_You're lying, I can tell…_"

Aang smiled. The man was right.

The boy opened his eyes.

He entered a nightmare.

.

o0o

.

The room he had once been in was now replaced by darkened tree roots and dead trees. There was no longer any mysticism here. There was just this overwhelming sense of horror with every turn. This world had been reduced to shadow and demented foliage. Something had tipped this world off the balance.

Aang stood up from underneath a decaying wooden shrine. He stepped onto the murky water below him. It was particularly disgusting.

But at least the yellow butterflies were nice.

There were a lot of them, these butterflies. They flew from behind Aang and swirled in front of him. Aang stepped into the thick cloud and realized that they were not just beautiful, but pesky too.

He would deal with pests later. He had a mission right now.

"_Roku!_" he called out. "_Roku!_"

Aang was thinking to himself. _What had happened to this place…? Why won't Roku answer me…?_ And then, _why won't these butterflies stop annoying me…?_

And then, the moths clumped together in front of him, swirling around to take shape. This shape was becoming more and more defined with every new addition of butterflies. In that entire blur, Aang was not exactly clear to what they were forming, but he was sure that it was something that looked like a person.

And the last butterfly came onto the figure and Aang was finally sure on what it formed. Those weren't just butterflies.

It was Avatar Yangchen.

"_Hello, Aang…_"

Aang's heart sunk for a moment. She didn't say '_Avatar Aang_' anymore. What a bad predicament. But a title was not what he had come for. He had questions and he needed answers. But he wasn't sure that Avatar Yangchen was up to date with recent events.

"_Um… I think it would be better if I spoke with Roku…_"

Avatar Yangchen shook her head. "_I'm sorry, young Airbender… Avatar Roku is busy now… I have decided to answer all the questions you need answered._"

Aang nodded. _Roku was busy?_

.

.

.

**Western Air Temple**

Azula was happy to know that Zhao's voice was getting fainter and fainter.

She was just unhappy to know that when she opened her eyes, she found herself in some sort of darkened swamp. Azula had never been in such a place all her life. This place took all the adjectives from her mouth. 'Fantastical' was one word she could use, but the dark themes that shrouded the land made her rethink that statement.

'_Horrible_' was Azula's description.

"_What have you done…?_" said a voice.

Azula spun around and attacked. No one was sneaking up on her no matter what world she was in. She sent a large blue flame towards this tall bearded old man in Fire Nation clothes. But there was no blue flame—no attack either. Azula could not bend.

Azula stepped back. "_What is this place?_"

"_This,_" said the old man as he stepped forward, "_is the Spirit World… And you… You are an uninvited guest…_"

Azula stepped back, unsure. This man looked vexed and angry. But she could see that there was more than just anger there. This old man could see right through her. Azula was held breathless at the mere sight of the man. And then, she noticed the royal artifact on the man's head. _This man is a Fire Nation prince…_

But then, she recalled all her past trips to the many Fire temples in the nation. This man had been the very image that stood there. She could recall the wise features, the flowing beard, the burning eyes, and the firm face.

This was not a Fire Nation prince.

Azula fell to the murky water.

"_Avatar Roku…_"

.

.

.

**Spirit World (Fire Nation Xin Sai shrine)**

"_I always believed that the war was over—that all my troubles were finished,_" Aang berated. "_Now, everything's falling apart again. And now, I'm powerless to stop it…_"

Aang and Avatar Yangchen both sat on a large mound surrounded by brown water. Yangchen listened carefully. "_An Avatar's work is never finished, Aang_," spoke Avatar Yangchen softly. "_There will always be incidents in every generation. That is why the Avatar State shifts to another person after the last Avatar dies. The Avatar is always needed—always._"

Aang hugged his knees and looked away. "_Not anymore… I'm no longer the Avatar…_"

Avatar Yangchen watched Aang. "_There has never been an incident like this since the beginning of the Avatar. The Avatar has always been the bridge between the two worlds. But when the Avatar's spirit is tainted with troubling thoughts and deeds, it destroys the balance between the worlds and leads them to destruction. A corrupt Avatar creates corrupt worlds…_"

Aang stared at the murky water. "_Is that why the Spirit World looks this way? Is that why it's so dark here?_"

Avatar Yangchen nodded. "_The Spirit World is losing focus, Aang. Spirits from this world are wandering into the ether and landing in your world. The Equinox has brought them there and it could strand them. It will be up to you to set things right._"

Aang placed a hand on his chest. "_Me? But I'm not the Avatar! I have no responsibility in this!_"

Avatar Yangchen looked almost angry. "_Do you think doing good deeds is only limited to Avatars, Aang. If you see something wrong, does it mean that you have to wait for the Avatar to come and set things right? No. When something wrong happens and you have the ability to fix it, then you have the responsibility to fix it. That is everyone's power, Aang. That is why you fight._"

Aang wasn't ready to believe yet. "_But I don't have the Avatar spirit… How will I bring them back here?_"

Avatar Yangchen held up took Aang's hand and opened up his palm. She then placed her palm onto Aang's palm, aligning their fingers. Avatar Yangchen then closed her eyes and hummed. Aang saw spiritual light move from the tattoos on her wrist and down into her hand. Then, the arrow in Aang's hand started to glow and it moved down his arm. This continued until all the tattoos in Aang's body glowed white.

"_What…was that?_" Aang stuttered. "_Did… Did you just give back my Avatar Spirit?_"

Avatar Yangchen shook her head. "_No. The Avatar Spirit had moved on from my body after I died. But as a spirit, I am entitled to some benefits. I believe they will be of use to you on your return…_"

Aang took his hand back and stared at his palm. With his other hand, he used his thumb to rub the surface of the touched palm. After this, he turned back to Avatar Yangchen. "_Is this it? Is this all the help I'm ever going to get? What about Azula? I have to get back the Avatar Spirit, right? Won't you give me some advice—a way to stop her?_"

"_Only this,_" spoke Avatar Yangchen. "_If you fail to take back the Avatar Spirit from her before the end of Fall, then the real world and the Spirit World will come crashing together. The worlds will fall apart._"

Aang was stunned. "_The end of Fall?_" Aang played things innocently. "_Can't you extend it to…uh…the end of Spring? There's just not enough time._"

"_This is a great catastrophe, Aang,_" spoke Yangchen in a deeper voice. "_The balance is falling faster and faster with each passing day. If the Avatar cannot reverse the problem soon, then everything will fall apart—everything. And not even—_"

"—_the Avatar can put a stop to it,_" Aang continued bitterly.

.

.

.

**Spirit World (Western Air Temple shrine)**

"_How did I get here?_" screamed Azula. "_Get me out!_"

"_Why have you done this?_" spoke Avatar Roku. "_Why have you taken the Avatar Spirit?_"

"_STAY BACK!_" Azula shouted violently, pointing her finger at the old man's face. "_STAY BACK!_"

"_Look at what you've done!_" shouted Avatar Roku, spreading his hands apart. "_The worlds are ruined! The balance is breaking! Everything is falling apart!_"

Azula was breathing vehemently, looking around and realizing that this world didn't used to look like this. Avatar Roku was telling her that this world had once been beautiful. And now, she realized that somehow, she had caused great impact. _But how? _Azula could not comprehend what was happening. Azula couldn't understand how she did all of this without even trying.

"_You have to reverse this at once!_" shouted Avatar Roku. "_You have to bring back the balance!_"

Azula laughed wildly. "_Are you seriously thinking that I'll return all the power of the world back to the hands of a small little boy? You Avatars are so short-sighted, so limited in thinking. You have the power of the world at your beck and call and you use it pointlessly. Your 'balance' is pointless. There will always be others who will overcome it. Why not just use all this power to gain ultimate control of the world? That way, the Avatar can keep the world in check._"

"_There is a reason_," spoke Roku, "_why the Avatar mediates between good and evil. If the Avatar is ruler of everything, than his stand on what is right and what is wrong can be corrupted. It makes the Avatar a dictator—a tyrant among men. But the Avatar is not a leader or a god. The Avatar is a person who is granted the ability to know worldly knowledge and hold things in order. It is not power that the Avatar seeks. It is wisdom. And I believe that's not what you're after…_"

Azula growled. "_Wisdom doesn't account for knowledge._"

Avatar Roku wagged a finger at Azula. "_That is the exact type of thinking that has ruined this world and is making the real world fall out of place. You have to end this now or you will put the Avatar in danger!_"

"_I do not intend to end this soon_," spoke Azula firmly. "_There are still a lot of things to finish._"

Avatar Roku was appalled. "_Your heart has truly hardened. There is no conscience in you. I have no way to make you understand the full gravity of this situation._"

Azula nodded. "_I'm glad you understand…_"

But Roku was not finished. "_But YOU have to understand this. As Avatar, it is your responsibility to bridge the two worlds together and do whatever it takes to balance them out. If you choose to be the Avatar, then you have to fulfill that duty._"

"_I can ignore your duties_," spoke Azula strongly. "_I am not bound by your petty moral codes._"

Roku became very sad. "_Then there is nothing that can stop you…_"

Azula smiled. "_That is correct, old man. Nothing can stop me._"

Roku stepped away. "_There was always so much potential for you. I can see now that it's still there. It's deep, but it's still there. Even under the darkest of clouds, the sun always shines behind them…_"

Azula had no time to understand as Roku placed a soft hand on her forehead. Her vision reduced to a bright white that started through her eyes. They were so bright that she was forced to shut her eyelids. She felt her body become light all of a sudden. It only lasted momentarily.

When she opened her eyes again, she was face to face with Zhao.

"_How was your trip?_" he said happily.

.

.

.

**Spirit World (Xin Sai Fire temple shrine)**

Aang sulked by himself. Avatar Yangchen couldn't imagine what the boy was thinking: agony, helplessness, fear, hardship, uncertainty. It was all very hard to take in for a boy who was still too young to understand puberty. But she had complete faith in Aang and his friends. Great things happen to those who believe.

"_Azula has yet to master all the elements, right?_" asked Aang.

"_Yes_," answered Avatar Yangchen.

"_And she has to master the Avatar State too, right?_"

"_Yes._"

Aang scratched his head. "_Can't you do something about it? After all, the Avatar Spirit relies on all the Avatars' knowledge and power. It gives the present user the ability to summon great feats of power. Can't you ask the other Avatars to—you know—stop giving their powers to Azula?_"

Avatar Yangchen shook her head. "_The Avatar Spirit is a collection of all our knowledge and abilities. All of our wisdom is surrendered to the spirit the moment we die. I'm afraid that the moment your adversary masters the Avatar State, then you and your friends might not be strong enough to win. That's what makes stopping her very important._"

Aang sighed heavily. "_What about her mastery of all the elements? Will it take her years before she can master water, earth, fire, and air?_"

"_I'm afraid not,_" spoke Yangchen. "_The Avatar Spirit, as you know, is alive in form. The Avatar Spirit adapts to the requirements of each generation. In your generation, it was imperative that you master the elements quickly so you could stop the Fire Lord before the arrival of the comet. But since you have not yet died, then your adversary will also master all the four elements in a matter of time as per your generations' requirements._"

Every new piece of information was always the wrong answer to Aang. The more he asked, the more his situation worsened.

"_And there is more you need to know,_" spoke Avatar Yangchen. "_The Avatar has always been the symbol for peace. All over the world, there will be desperate people who will crave for this peace. They will side this false Avatar and the world will gather behind her. There are people who are loyal to the Avatar no matter who he or she may be. They will see you as a threat and an enemy to peace._"

Great.

"_But you must persevere, Aang. You cannot give up. You cannot fall into despair. You are the world's best chance for hope. You have saved the world before a thousand times in a thousand lifetimes and you will do it again._"

Aang scowled. "_You mean the Avatar._"

Avatar Yangchen winked.

"_Exactly._"

And Yangchen reached to touch Aang's forehead. A glow came from her hand and soon Aang was back in the Fire temple. His environment changed so quickly that it seemed like he had been in a dream. It was a dream filled with horrible consequences for the future and a destiny that would end up deciding the fate of the whole world.

And then, Aang realized: "_Avatar Yangchen called me the Avatar…_"

That made Aang smile.

.

o0o

.

Then Aang's optimistic mood faltered when he realized that the sun's light was shining on his face. There shouldn't be any sunlight at all. He had meditated in an enclosed room with light coming only from candles. Looking up, Aang realized that the roof had been torn down. The hole was edged with splinters. Something had crashed right through it.

And then, Aang heard moans.

The boy came to his senses and stood up. He rushed towards the sound and realized that, in the middle of another room, the Fire Sage was lying unconscious. He was pinned down by wood and rubble.

"Don't worry!" Aang shouted. "I'll get you out of there!"

Aang breathed deep and slowly pushed the wood and rubble off the man with air. The Fire Sage coughed and smiled at him.

"The village is being attacked by spiritual creatures. There was this little girl in one of their clutches… _I tried to save her…_"

Aang placed the man next to the wall. He checked if the man sustained any injury. There was nothing he could find but slight bruising.

"Why are these spirits here?" asked Aang softly. "Are they angry?"

"The Equinox," spoke the Fire Sage, "has aligned the worlds. These spirits have wandered here without any guide—without the Avatar. They are not angry, Aang. They are lost."

Aang stood up. "Then it's up to me to bring them back."

"Only the Avatar can bring them back," spoke the Fire Sage.

Aang smiled. "Exactly."

.

o0o

.

Katara, Sokka, and Zuko were running across the Fire Temple's rooftop, running after Toph who was screaming for help. "_If you guys don't get me down from this thing, I'll make sure that when I come back from the dead, I'll pummel you guys into a pulp!_"

"That's not a very encouraging," shouted Sokka.

"Just rescue me!"

Zuko launched two successive fireballs from his fists, hitting the large beast on its armored back. The creature turned around and shouted at Zuko before rolling into a ball with Toph inside. This armored ball started rolling towards them. Sokka was the first to react by running the other way.

Sokka slid off the roof.

"_This way guys! We can land in the—'SPLASH'_"

Sokka was drenched in water. He had landed in a small pond.

On the rooftop, Katara's eyes were transfixed at all this water. Looking back, she could see the huge animal ball come rolling towards them. Zuko's blasts were having no effect on its armored plates.

Katara focused on the pond below, drawing water from it. She took a huge amount and Waterbended it so it came onto the roof. In two slicing motions, Katara was able to solidify the water and form it into a sort of ice ramp.

"Zuko!" Katara shouted. "Get to the side!"

Zuko sidestepped and the ball barely missed him. It rolled onto the ramp, off the roof, and into the air.

Below, Sokka watched as the ball blocked the sun for a moment as it reached for the sky. And then, he realized that is was falling down on him.

Sokka just sat in the middle of the pond, unwilling to move. He was too annoyed to walk away. He just groaned, saying, "_I hate how these fight scenes go…_"

_**SPLASH!!**_

A huge wave rolled Sokka right onto solid ground. Sokka just lay flat for a second. After that, he lifted his head up and spat the water out of his mouth.

The Tiger-dillo spirit unwound from its ball shape and stared fearlessly at Sokka. Nine more Tiger-dillo spirits joined in and surrounded him. Sokka was too indifferent to move. Sokka shook his head and said, "_I hate these moments…_"

From above, Zuko and Katara jumped to his side.

Sokka still shook his head. "_We're all doomed…_"

Toph, who was still in the hand of one of the Tiger-dillos, groaned. "Can't you, for once, think of good things?"

Sokka shrugged. "I can't help it. It's my nature."

Katara and Zuko's defenses were proving as worthless as Sokka's pessimistic cries. "_We can't hold them back!_" shouted Zuko. "There's too much of them!"

The Tiger-dillo holding Toph stepped forward to take a bite out of them.

.

o0o

.

Aang jumped out of the temple doors and landed in between the group and the attacking Tiger-dillo. He spun once and sent a gust of wind right into the face of the spirit-creature, pushing him and the rest of the pack back a few yards. Toph thought she was in some sort of storm.

Sokka was surprised. "Aang!" And then, "You always come in the nick of time, don't you?"

Aang turned to Katara. "Stop hurting them! They're just frightened—lost."

Zuko shrugged. "Alright… But what do we do with them?"

Aang pointed to himself. "Leave that to me!"

And Aang jumped to the one carrying Toph. He remained floating in the air with the help of Airbending. As he floated, he reached out with his left hand and touched the creature on the head. There was a white glow that came from his hand. The spirit glowed white in return.

Now, Aang was able to speak with the creature.

_You are lost… Relax… Drop my friend…_ Aang thought.

The spirit-creature stopped growling and sat on the ground. All the other spirit creatures sat on the ground, following their leader. Toph was instantly released, but she landed on her rear end.

"_I'm going to get you for that, Twinkletoes!_" Toph shouted as she stood up.

_Go back…_ thought Aang to the creature. _Go back where it's safe…_

Aang took his hand away from the creature's forehead. The Tiger-dillo spirit rose up to its feet, roared, and started walking back into the forest. The other Tiger-dillo spirits walked behind it. The townsfolk gave a huge sigh of relief.

Sokka slapped a hand on Aang's shoulder. "Wow… Did you just get your Avatar Spirit back?"

Aang shook his head. "_No… It was just a gift from a friend…_"

Katara pointed to the spirit children that surrounded them with their innocent eyes looking straight at them. "Uh… What about the…ghost kids?"

When Katara turned to Aang, she could see that some of these ghost kids where playing around with him. Some sat on his shoulders and others were hugging his legs. Aang laughed with them and he rolled on the ground when he couldn't support their weight.

They all laughed.

Katara laughed too.

.

o0o

.

It had taken awhile before Aang could finish telling the whole story of his trip to the Spirit World and the new missions they were supposed to handle. Of course, after all of this was finished, Sokka was the first one to complain.

"And that's why," spoke Aang, "we have to get the Avatar Spirit back before the end of Autumn."

Sokka sighed. "Another deadline. Aren't we the unlucky bunch that always has to handle all of these worldly problems?"

Toph punched Sokka on the shoulder. "Cheer up, Snoozles. It'll just be like old times. Team Avatar saves the world all over again!"

"We can't stop for anything," spoke Aang. "We have to finish this as soon as possible. There could be another war and I can't allow that. We have to stick to Sokka's first plan. We have to head to the Western Air Temple."

Zuko nodded. "When do we leave?"

"Now."

As the group started walking towards Appa, Katara took Aang's hand and pulled him to the back where she could speak with him privately. Aang looked at her and noticed the sad smile on her face. "Is something wrong?"

Katara shook her head. "No. I'm just happy to have you back. You've been so different lately. It's worrying all of us. We thought you'd never heal."

Aang nodded. "I'm sorry for what I put you guys through. It must have been hard trying to deal with me."

Katara smiled. "Nothing we can't handle. So, we're in this together?"

"Yes."

And Katara kissed Aang on the cheek. "That's what I like to hear."

.

.

.

_My updates have been coming in slowly, I know. It'll slow down a lot but I'm still working hard on this story. And yes, this is still a 24 chapter story (probably 25 if I feel like it). Sorry gobier182 for offending you. That "improbability" rant wasn't meant to offend. I'll just shut up if ever I want to give a lecture, heh heh : )…_

_._

_As for the story, it's coming out well. I've written my outline on paper so it's doing good and I like it to an extent. The chapters to come have a sort of "repetition" to it._

_._

_I've decided to stick to this plot, so for those out there who have given me some suggestions, thank you, but I like where my story is going already. But don't stop with the suggestions. I might add in a few if it fits well._

_._

_Review and Comment_

_._

_Thank you._


	14. Chapter 14: Battle for the West

It continues...

_Author's Note: __I was able to create this story with some ideas I had thought of when I was thinking about the Avatar universe. There were some scenes that I wished would come out and I've decided to add it here. Hope this is good and hope you enjoy the read. I just hope I can hand out the goods. The hiatus was cut short as I decided on the next nine chapters, but still, things would go quite slow. Updates will be posted whenever I can post or whenever I finish my story. Now, let's begin with the other half of Book Air._

_Disclaimer: I own no part of Avatar, the Last Airbender. But this story and this plot is entirely of my own creation. Any similarities to the official Avatar plotline are mere coincidences or are used for necessary events in the story. The same goes with the characters and settings._

Book 4

_Air_

Chapter fourteen:

Battle for the West

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**Fire Nation, ****Grand Plaza, Royal Palace**

Suki had been counting the sunsets since her arrival at the Fire Nation Royal Palace. The infirmary here had been nice and there was a circus in town as well to entertain them as they stayed in the Fire Nation. Those Kyoshi Warriors that weren't heavily injured during the last fateful battle decided to go to the circus. Suki refused to go with them. She didn't feel up to it.

Suki walked up to Ty Lee. The girl lay thinking on her bed with a cast on her left arm. Ty Lee wouldn't be doing any cartwheels any time soon.

Ty Lee smiled at Suki. "You're aura's awfully brown today. Are you okay?"

Suki nodded too quickly to be passive. "Yeah. Why? What does a 'brown aura' mean?"

The girl shrugged. "Dunno… I never met any brown-aura-ed person ever. It must be cool being the first one."

Suki laughed slightly. "Um…yeah…"

Ty Lee saw more in her expressions. Face paints didn't really hide the emotions on the face. "Still worrying about your boyfriend, I suppose?" she said

Suki made another apprehensive laugh. "No. No. I'm not worrying. Who said I'm worrying? Sokka's big enough to handle himself. He's smart enough and I bet that he'll be back before we know it. He's a very capable person and he can adapt to whatever situation he faces and—"

Ty Lee raised a brow and interrupted. "I wonder if anyone has told you this, _but you talk too much_…"

Suki laughed like an animal. "_Yeah…_"

The ditsy little acrobat girl winked at Suki. "Hey… He's not a guy I would give up either."

Suki made a double-take at Ty Lee. "What? Hey!—He's my _boyfriend!_"

Ty Lee looked away, looking innocent. She then said, in a sing-song voice, "_I didn't say anything…_"

Suki was about to strangle Ty Lee and make her spit out everything she thought about Sokka when suddenly, Mai stepped into the infirmary. She instantly broke the tension between the two. Suki and Ty Lee innocently looked away, adding whistling to make them look even _more_ timid.

"You can cut the act, guys," spoke Mai calmly. "I didn't hear anything."

Mai's sentence did little to soften the tension between them. Mai sighed. Good company was always taking up another room in the palace. Ty Lee was a nice addition to her long awaited list of friends. But Suki was always one to beat her at Pai Sho. One day, she'll settle the score with her. But right now, she had important messages to deliver.

Suki saw the bundle of papers in Mai's hand. "Letters?"

Mai nodded. "I have two for you. The others are political nonsense that I have to deliver to General Shinu."

Mai took one of Suki's parchments and read it out loudly before handing it to her. The parchment was tattered and there seemed to be some blotches of paint on it. "This one's from the circus… That's strange…"

Suki looked at Mai oddly. "What's strange? What does the circus want with me?"

Mai laughed slowly. "Didn't a bunch of Kyoshi Warriors just go to the circus?"

Suki clenched her fists. "What happened?"

"Well apparently, the circus had injured some of their acrobats during a training session before their big act. Some of your warriors decided to help and they've been performing at the big tent for the last few hours. Apparently, the crowd loves them. The circus manager is asking if she could borrow some of your warriors for a week," said Mai as she sniggered.

Suki's jaw nearly reached the floor.

Ty Lee was clapping her hands. "That'll be cool! It'll be a new experience for the other warriors! The circus life is so thrilling! And there would be no need to change costumes! We already have makeup!"

Suki stomped her feet on the ground. "_We're not going to the circus!_"

Ty Lee pouted. "You're no fun…"

"What's the other letter say?" asked Suki.

Mai handed it to Suki instead of reading it to her. When Suki asked why she wouldn't read it, Mai said, "I think it would be better if you read this one…"

Suki saw the inscription on the parchment.

It was from Sokka.

.

o0o

.

"They're going for the Western Air Temple," spoke Suki as she finished reading. Mai and Ty Lee were leaning in to see what was written on the message. Sokka seemed to have stressed some great accomplishments throughout the entire letter—like how he single-handedly took down a large army of undead children. At the bottom of the parchment was this blotted ink painting of Sokka and Suki hugging each other. There was a large flowery heart behind them.

"Is that a _pretzel_?" asked Ty Lee, pointing to the painting.

Suki shook her head. "It looks more like a volcano."

"Why would Sokka paint a _volcano_?" asked Ty Lee.

"Why would _**my**__ boyfriend_ paint a _PRETZEL_?" Suki countered.

"Because he's always hungry!" Ty Lee shouted.

Then, in the middle of that argument, Mai said, "I know exactly what that is."

The two turned to Mai and she answered with confidence. The two knew instantly that she was right. "That painting is…_horrible…_"

.

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**Western Air Temple**

One could say that Azula had learned Airbending. No. Azula had learned only how to move air that was already moving. One could say that the fault of her poor learning was attributed to the poor teachings of the spirit-man, Zhao. Another person could say that it was Azula's stubbornness to learn a purely defensive art also contributed to her lack of learning. Azula's horrible mental state also delayed her training.

But there was one thing a person cannot say against.

Because Azula _was_ learning.

Her progress was a lot slower than Zhao liked it to be, but she was learning to Airbend. On one day, she had learned to follow the flow of the air. On another day, she had learned how to focus the small whisper of a breeze into an accelerated whistle through her hands. Azula maybe slow, but it was inevitable that she was going to become an Airbender soon. All she needed was a lot more scrolls and some more time.

But today, out of the kindness of Zhao's heart, Azula was allowed to rest and stroll around the temple.

Azula had a minute's worth of rest. Zhao was counting the seconds.

_I must rid myself of this old armor_, thought Azula to herself as she flicked some of its worn plates. _It has been pounded and battered in all of its sections. No doubt the whole thing would fall apart the moment it receives a soft pounding…_

So Azula was about to do something she hadn't done in a long time.

She was about to go shopping for clothes.

.

o0o

.

Azula only realized the gender separation of the Air Nomads when she strolled through the remains of the temple's living quarters. There seemed to be no skeletons but a bunch of ragged clothing drifting with the slow breaths of the wind. Azula never felt so peaceful in her entire life.

_I remember all our history lessons_, thought Azula. She was referring to the fact that the royal family was home-schooled. "_The Western Air Temple was the first to be attacked during the beginning of the war…_" she recited out of habit. "_There was no battle here… The female Airbenders were ambushed and the temple remained completely untouched…_"

Azula took a tattered shawl and some pillow wool and stuffed her armor with it. She also helped herself to some of the robes and wore it around her hips and legs. _This would do for now…_

"_Azula! Come back now! We must continue our training!_"

Azula turned around upon hearing Zhao's voice. Zhao sounded angrier than usual. She knew it was wise not to go with this man any longer. She could learn the elements on her own. She didn't need to be stalked down by an ill-tempered ghost who would berate to no end. Maybe she could hide. After all, even if Zhao could "pop" up anywhere, the spirit-man did not know where to "pop" up in the first place. She could hide in one of the temple's many dark rooms.

Azula knew where to go. _The Air sanctuary…_

The girl moved stealthily, avoiding loose pebbles to cause unwanted noise. She moved in the shadows and made sure that she clung to the walls. There was no sign of Zhao so far. But that didn't lessen the problems. It only told her that the spirit was searching for her.

_He must not find me… I have to escape this man's odious plans of world domination… I have plans of my own… Revenge… __I can see Zuko's face crushed… That peasant girl must suffer too… I can continue my training on my own… All I have to do is gather some scrolls and descend this cliff-face and find my way out—a place where not even Zhao will find me…_

A plan was beginning to form here. She would find a way to fulfill her father's dreams. _The Phoenix King..._ It was only fair that her father finish what he started. But no king had her kind of power. _The Phoenix Avatar_… That had a certain ring to it. Azula smiled. 'The Phoenix Avatar' it was.

"_AZULA! STOP FOOLING AROUND! WE HAVE TO CONTINUE!_"

Azula climbed onto the wall and pressed her nails onto it. It was a dark wall that could have hid moose-lion any day.

Finally, she reached the collapsed opening of the Air sanctuary. Azula peeked inside. Nobody was there. There was no sign of Zhao.

Azula got inside, quickly moving into the shadows. She found herself welcomed in the darkness, turning her body into darker hues. If anyone passed by the opening and caught sight of Azula, all they would see was a statue. She was a statue among other statues. The other Avatar statues would hide her.

Then, her attention shifted to the Avatar statue that stood right next to her.

It was terribly short for an Avatar. The darkness of the room covered much of its features but Azula was able to see that the Avatar was more or less still a child. This particular child seemed to have a large head.

In fact, this statue disturbed her.

She seemed reminded of someone.

A sudden panic rose from her gut. But Azula was no longer impulsive. If she stuck with her old habits, she would have burned this statue with one burst of flame. But she didn't. Azula was learning to control herself. And, a sudden explosion would instantly tell Zhao where she was.

So Azula reached out to touch the statue's head.

She sighed.

The statue was just that—a statue.

The instant her finger made contact with its surface, she immediately felt the gravel-like surface. Azula rubbed her index finger and thumb together, feeling the texture of the rock. Some of the dust on the statue had gathered on her finger the moment she touched it.

_These statues have been left untouched for years… They've gathered so much dust…_

And then, she noticed something rather strange.

As she rubbed the dust with her fingers, she also felt its texture. Oddly enough, the dust that had gathered on this statue was not fine as dust should be. This dust was particularly course and rough. Dust wasn't rough. Dust had to be smooth and light so it could fly around in the air like no one's business. This was something else.

This was sand.

.

.

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**Western Air Temple, topside (earlier)**

Aang, Katara, Zuko, Sokka, and Toph had slipped in as quietly as they could. They had arrived topside at night and decided to camp out. If Azula and Zhao were in the temple, Sokka wanted to make sure that they had surprise on their side. But to make sure their adversaries were below them, Sokka and Zuko decided to spy on the temple and see if there was any sign of life (or in Zhao's case—spirit) in the temple. Sokka and Zuko returned back at their campsite during the break of dawn.

"What did you find?" asked Katara. "Are they there?"

"We didn't get too close," spoke Zuko. "But we knew they were there. We spotted the Earth Kingdom airship and that answered our question immediately."

Sokka patted the ground with his hand. "So what we need to do know is ambush them. We could fly in right now while they don't suspect us and take them by surprise. But then, they could escape and we'd be back on another merry chase. What we have to do is isolate them and trap them. That's a lot harder than it sounds."

"So flying down is out of the option?" spoke Katara.

"Flying down is definitely out of the option," answered Zuko.

"I could tunnel in," Toph suggested. "We could sneak in from behind and grab them by surprise."

Sokka wasn't sure. "_Tunneling in?_ I said I wanted to capture them by _surprise_. I bet Azula could tell when the ground's shaking."

Toph crossed her arms and fumed. "I could tunnel in _quietly…_"

"And then what?" retorted Sokka. "The last time I checked, Azula put up a good fight. And she's the Avatar now. We don't know how much she's learned. She could…uh…combine water and lightning! WIGHTNING!"

Aang raised a brow. "_Wightning?_"

Sokka sighed. "You're missing the point. We have to trap these people. So our first priority is getting that airship out of the way. I think Zuko, Katara, and I could handle that. Meanwhile, Toph and Aang can create a subtle diversion. You're going to approach them from behind."

Toph frowned. "You just said we couldn't tunnel in!"

Sokka raised a finger. "Ah. But in my plan, you have some tricks up your sleeve."

"Tricks in my sleeve, huh?" said Toph, thinking about the prospects.

"But we'll need a place to trap them," spoke Zuko. "It has to be a perfect place—a place where my sister might be distracted. I know we've stayed in the Western Air Temple for quite some time, but Aang knows the temple from top to bottom. Any suggestions?"

"There are a dozen confusing places in every air temple," lectured Aang. "You have the gardens, the echo chamber, the sanctuary, the patio, the library and more. But most of these places have been destroyed the last time we stayed here."

"Do you think any of these places managed to stay undamaged?" asked Katara.

Aang shrugged. "I guess the library, the sanctuary, and the echo chamber would be okay… But I'm not sure."

Sokka nodded. "Alright, we'll start with what we got. Any comments you guys want to say?"

Toph blew the hair that dangled over her eyes. "I have to say, this plan of yours isn't one of your better ones. And believe me—I've heard a dozen of your more stupid plans. But usually they're exceptional. This one just _isn't_."

Sokka couldn't believe what he was hearing. "_This is a good plan!_" he voiced.

Toph leaned back onto the ground and brushed him off. "Destroying an airship. Trapping the enemy. There's nothing new!"

Sokka thought things through. Suddenly, an idea came into mind and Sokka snapped his fingers. Toph tilted her head to Sokka. She could tell that he had a stroke of genius. He smiled slyly at Toph. "_Oh, but I do have something new…_"

And Sokka rubbed his hands dementedly, an awful sneer on his face.

Aang moved back, frightened. "He has this crazy look on his face again…"

Toph chuckled lightly.

"_What have I done?_" she faked, using a slightly high-pitched voice. And she laughed even more.

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.

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**Western Air Temple (present time)**

_Sand?_

_Sand is too large to be easily carried by the wind… In the desert, desert winds can only blow sand across the ground… The sand hugs the ground… It is too smooth to stick on statues and too heavy to float around high in the air…_

One could say Azula was heavily paranoid. Azula thought of it herself. She was paranoid about sand. So, to make sure it was sand and not dust, Azula reached forward to feel the statue once more. Her finger touched its coarse surface. It was definitely sand. As far as she knew, statues were never made of sand.

That's when the sand statue grabbed her hand with its own.

Azula was too late to be surprised.

With its other arm, the statue flung its hand to the ground. An Avatar statue that stood behind Azula suddenly lifted up and crashed onto her. Azula was only able to soften the impact with a crushing blow of blue fire that briefly lit the entire sanctuary. She pulled on the sand statue's hand and freed herself from its grip.

Azula kept two blue flames floating on her fists, allowing her to see the statue.

But what she saw next was an entire sandstorm coming out of the statue's skin. The sandstorm blew into her and Azula tried blasting it with some short bursts of flame. Though the statue's attack was just sand, Azula could not penetrate it due to its thickness in the air.

That didn't mean she didn't affect the attack. Her bursts were so intense that the sand instantly fell to the ground and turned into molten glass.

When the entire sandstorm had been reduced to molten glass, Azula was able to see her opponent through the light of her flame. The short Avatar with the big head she thought she had seen in the dark was actually a girl with her hair in a large bun. It was that blind Earthbender.

Toph.

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o0o

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"I have to admit," declared Sokka with a smile. "Using Sandbending to cover Toph and make her look like a statue was one of my brighter ideas."

"_Shhhh…_" hushed Katara. "_Could you keep quiet…? You did say this was an ambush… A QUIET ambush…_"

"_I think both of you should be quiet…_" hissed Zuko. "_We're almost there…_"

Sokka, Katara, and Zuko we're riding on Appa. They were floating within the mists that surrounded the air temple, using it as cover before they made their sneak attack. _Their target_: the airship. To get there, they had to be quiet, _very_ quiet—and that included Appa. The moment a moan slipped from the Sky Bison's large mouth, the moment their cover was blown.

"_We have to get onboard that airship and sabotage it from the inside…_" Sokka whispered. "_I doubt there are any bombs so we should destroy it in some other way. But I think you two can come up with a solution for that…_"

Zuko nodded. "_Won't be a problem._"

Katara had her hands at her hips and looked at Sokka. "_What're you gonna do?_"

Sokka played with his fingers and smiled. "_I'm going to help, of course…_"

The group poked their heads above the clouds and saw the Western Air Temple up close. The Earth Kingdom airship was tied to one of the temple's bottom-facing towers. The air at this time was slow and drifting, which made the airship bob up and down like an iceberg on water.

"_No one seems to be home…_" whispered Zuko.

Sokka pulled on Appa's reigns and quietly said: "_Appa… Yip… Yip…_"

Slowly, Appa rose from the clouds. They moved so quietly that they were like specters—silent and unseen. Appa moved forward, pushing its tail up and down. Any sound the beast made was so quiet that it was easily swallowed by the sounds of slow wind. They landed on the temple floor and the trio jumped off. They prowled to the tethered airship, tiptoeing delicately.

The only time they made noise was when Sokka, who was leading them, stepped onto the metal platform of the airship. His little steps echoed loudly as they reverberated across the metal surface.

Sokka winced.

Katara and Zuko, in unison, said: "_Shhh…_"

Sokka nodded slowly. He continued moving, taking great strides instead of dozens of noisy tiptoes. "_Sorry…_"

"_Shhh!_"

But before any of them could reach the command platform, Zhao was standing in their way. He had appeared out of nowhere and without warning. Zhao grabbed Sokka's neck in one fluid motion and threw him high into the air. He landed on the floor of the temple with a thud. Katara gasped.

"_Zhao!_" Zuko spat.

Zhao was all charm. "_What? No witty banter before our fight? No snide remarks? I have to say, Zuko, you're losing your touch…_"

Zuko's favored response was: "_RAH!_"

And a swirling fireball rushed to hug Zhao. Zhao hugged it back, unaffected by heat. But he was forced back by the strike at the very least. Katara saw this. Maybe they couldn't hurt Zhao but maybe they could push him back a bit.

Katara Waterbended a handful of water from her satchel and whipped it at Zhao. The whiplash was strong enough to make cracking noises in the air. The force would have certainly pushed Zhao back. And just as the water whip was about to strike Zhao down, Zhao chose that split-second to disappear in a flash of green. The water whip struck the metal platform, slicing the metal and creating a large slash.

"Where'd he go?" asked Katara prudently.

Zhao appeared behind Katara and grabbed her on the neck, squeezing the life out of her, his thumb pressing hard on her throat. The spirit-man lifted Katara a foot off the ground.

"_Get off my airship!_" he shouted. And he threw Katara.

Sokka, on the temple floor, sat up and opened his eyes. He saw his sister falling from the sky. Sokka didn't have time to comment as Katara landed right on top of him.

Zhao switched his attention back to Zuko. "_I guess that takes care of your friends, doesn't it—!_"

Zuko rammed Zhao in the gut with his head. If Zhao could still breathe, Zuko was sure the wind was knocked right out of him. No pain registered on Zhao's face, but Zuko was doing exactly what he wanted to do—pushing him away.

But Zhao disappeared and Zuko fell forward—to the edge of the airship's platform.

"_Are you ready to fall to your death, Zuko?_" Zhao asked.

Zuko was panting, his breathing was shallow. His upper body leaned over the edge of the airship and he was looking down, into the endless mist of clouds below him. For a second, vertigo struck him and he felt light-headed. He felt the need to _fall_ into the mist. He gripped tighter on the railings.

Zhao's hand came onto Zuko's back.

He leaned down until his face was next to Zuko's face.

"_It's a long way down, isn't it?_"

Zhao grabbed Zuko by the neck and lifted him up.

He threw Zuko.

.

o0o

.

Katara grabbed him with her water whip and she held onto Zuko with all her strength. But the water that held onto Zuko was terribly thin. Katara had enough strength to pull him towards the rocky mountainside. Zuko was strong enough to latch onto the jutting rocks.

When Sokka looked back at the airship's platform, he could see that Zhao was not yet finished with them.

.

o0o

.

Toph had been careful to replace the Avatar statue she had earlier used to hit Azula. She wouldn't have done it had not Aang reminded a thousand times to keep the sanctuary undamaged because it was a sacred place. Toph would have bickered with him, but Aang wouldn't allow her. So she had to fix the Avatar statue she had just broken down.

Azula, on the other hand, was busy staying alive. The Air sanctuary was a terrible place to hold a fight. She kept bumping into Avatar statues and that jolted her, thinking it was her enemy. There was also no light except for the two small blue flames floating on her fists.

But Toph was not bothered by sight. She saw everything through her feet.

Azula was at a terrible disadvantage.

"_Trap her at the center of the Avatar statues, the spot after Roku's statue—the very middle of the sanctuary_," said Aang to Toph earlier.

"_Why?_" she asked, unsure. "_What are you going to do?_"

"_Just do it,_" Aang said slyly. "_Use Sandbending to hold her in the center._"

And that's exactly what Toph was doing. Without compromising the sanctuary's earthen structure, Toph used Sandbending to force Azula to the very center of the spiral statue arrangement. She was like a fish with the nets coming in all around her.

But Azula was no ordinary fish. She was a feisty fish.

Though she was attacking blindly, some stray sparks Azula shot singed Toph's sleeves. This made Toph very uneasy. _If Azula gets her nerve back, she could start using some VERY big flames and no sand wall would be strong enough to hold her down… Where is my bald reinforcement? Where is Aang…?_

Azula was slowly getting her resolve back. She was thinking rapidly, analyzing the situation from every point of view.

_This Earthbender isn't using the earth at all… She's using only sand… If she wanted to hurt me, she would have shot me with a large boulder by now… But she's not… She's just forcing me back… There's something else involved in this—a different motive… I must not be trapped… I have to—what is that sound…?_

All around the sanctuary, there was this background sound.

_Tack…Tack…Tack…Tack…_

It sounded like slabs of rock knocking onto each other. At first, it had been so weak that it was barely audible. But it started to rise. With each "_Tack_" there came more sounds, louder sounds. And to Azula, it seemed to be coming for her.

Her paranoia was kicking in again.

And then, _my feet are covered in sand…_

_Tack…Tack…Tack…_

Azula struggled to free herself from the sand, but it had been compressed over her feet, almost as sturdy as solid ground. It felt more like mud and had the same effect of quicksand.

_Tack…Tack…TACK…_

Azula started burning her feet. Blue flames shot out from her wrists and onto the sand. She was hoping to chip off the sand like she would to a rock trap. But somehow, the sand only became harder, stronger. The more the sand stiffened, the more Azula panicked. It wasn't supposed to go this way.

_TACK…TACK…__**TACK…TACK…**_

_I'm in the middle of an intricate web—a web my enemies have crafted just for me… I am trapped by the heated sand on my feet… I have nowhere to go…_

Azula tried moving her feet again, but it was worse now. Now, the sand had somehow turned harder than earth. She turned to the Earthbender.

"Release me at once!" she screeched.

Toph placed her fists on her hips. She had this contended smile on her face. "Sorry, princess. You've just turned the sand on your feet into glass. I can't bend glass."

Azula looked back at her feet again. The girl was right. She had unknowingly turned the sand into hardened glass. This had been her own bloody mistake.

The sounds around her became louder and louder, the spacing between each sound was faster now—gathering momentum.

_**TACK—TACK—TACK—TACK**_

The glass, the sound, the darkness, the trap, the web, the Earthbender, and a mistake. All of them came crashing together into Azula's mind and she wasn't able to make sense of it all. She was ready to collapse into another fit of madness, which is a sad development for her. She had already managed to get her mind under some control but she was about to lose it all in this crazy situation.

And all that madness started to spiral in towards her.

.

o0o

.

Aang had his own problems with seeing in the dark. With his Earthbending taken away, he could no longer sense the world through his feet the same way Toph did. The moment Aang came out of the tunnel Toph had made to get them to the Air sanctuary, Aang could not see in all the darkness.

But unlike Azula, Aang had familiarity on his side.

Though Aang had been inside an intact Air sanctuary only once, he had taken in all the sights. He recalled all the Avatar statues and their spiral arrangement. He too had a plan of his own and Azula would be in the very center of it.

Silently, Aang snapped open the wings of his glider and flew to the very top of the sanctuary. There was no time to waste. A thousand statues passed by in a blur as Aang rose to the very ceiling of the sanctuary.

As Aang arrived at the very top, he couldn't help but have a moment of Epiphany. He was standing next to the highest Avatar statue in the line. _I am next to the very first Avatar… I wonder… Did he have an Avatar State…? After all, the Avatar Spirit is the collection of the entire Avatars' knowledge and power… But there was no Avatar before this guy…_

Aang's thoughts were interrupted when he heard the short blasts of fire screaming far below him. _The blue fire I can see below must be Azula… Toph should push her to the center… I hope she didn't wreck any of the statues down there…_

Finally, after a minute's wait, Aang could see that Toph had pinned Azula to the very center of the sanctuary floor.

It was time to initiate his plan.

Aang sucked in a great magnitude of air into his mouth. Then, he cupped his hands over his mouth and began to blow. An explosive wind rushed out of his mouth.

This wind knocked onto the first Avatar statue.

And that Avatar statue tipped to its side, knocking onto the next statue in line.

And the next…

And the next…

_Tack…Tack…Tack…Tack…_

Aang kept blowing more and more air, keeping the wind-stream steady as it spiraled downward, blowing other Avatar statues down. This continued on and on, rushing faster and faster, all building into one speedy wave of tipping statues that spiraled all the way to the sanctuary floor. The noise was more rapid now. Surely Azula could feel her impending doom.

It was one big Avatar statue domino-effect.

_**TACK! TACK! TACK! TACK!**_

.

o0o

.

The movements of the statues were too quick now. Toph could feel each statue topple onto the next. She shook her head sadly. _Baldy told me not to knock off any of the statues… He's such a hypocrite…_

Then, Azula freed herself of the glass.

Toph was appalled. "_NO!_"

Azula started thrusting some brilliant fire around her, anything to hit her enemy. Toph still had sight on her side. She could try and hold her back in the middle.

Too bad Azula shined her light on Toph. Now, she could see her.

_**TACK! TACK! TACK! TACK!**_

Toph was running out of time. If she wanted Aang's plan to work, Azula had to be in the center. It was time she got her hands dirty.

Toph placed her hands on the ground, and just as Azula came charging towards her with a bright flame with Toph's name on it, she was able to collect some sand onto her hands. The sand compacted onto her palm and solidified. It was a sort of armor for her.

The two met head-on.

Toph instantly grabbed Azula's hands with her own, their fingers intertwined. The fire in Azula's hands was snuffed out by the sand in Toph's hands.

Toph desperately tried to push Azula back, but she was much bigger and stronger than her. Every step forward for Toph was two steps back by Azula.

"_Get back!_" Toph shrieked.

"_I'm no longer part of your silly plan!_" she retorted. "_Now, you're about to burn!_"

Azula began screaming fire.

Luckily, Toph was shorter than her opponent. She was nimble enough to turn her head away from the first flame that screamed from Azula's mouth. But another attack like that might cost her Toph's life.

_**TACKTACKTACKTACKTACK**_

Toph tried moving forward again, this time, planting her feet harder on the ground. She used Earthbending to help her move farther. But Azula was ready for this. With Azula's heels lifted up, a jet of blue flame thrust her forward. Earth and Fire came clashing together. Fire was winning.

"_YOU'RE OUT OF LUCK! I WILL ROAST YOU ALIVE!!_" Azula wailed happily. "_HA! HA! HA!_"

But it was Toph who had the last laugh.

"I don't think so, princess…" she said smugly.

Azula couldn't understand Toph's smugness. That was until she realized where they were. Her eyes widened with horror and realization. Both she and Toph were back in the very center of the spiral arrangement.

Toph couldn't help but get lost in the triumph of the moment. "You pushed me back. But I made it so that we would go around in a circle. _Now, we're back to where we started._"

It was only then that Azula could see the toppling Avatar statues. They were spiraling all around her, making her dizzy—_and they were in the very center_.

_**TA-TA-TA-TA-AAAA-AAA-AAA-ACACAC-CK-CK-CK**_

"_Release me at once!_" she screamed, trying to break free from Toph's sandy hands. "_Let me go!_"

Toph shook her head with a smile. "_No deal, princess… Where you go, I go…_"

Azula turned and saw Avatar Roku—the last in the line of statues. The buildup of momentum was now enormous, bone-shattering, and explosive. When Avatar Roku's statue came toppling towards them, it moved like a bullet—a statue-sized bullet. And it had the force of a collapsing building.

Both Azula and Toph were crushed under the melee of cracking rubble, ascending dust, and snapping bones.

.

o0o

.

From above, the whole thing had been a nerve-racking experience. Aang saw everything go according to plan. But a moment later, the little blue flame below started to move. _Azula isn't in the center!_

Aang was too high up to help Toph. He just hoped Toph would pull a trick out of her sleeve and find a way to get her back.

For a few nail-biting moments, Aang watched as the little blue flame made a slow circular progression. Aang could tell there was a force pushing it back. _Toph…_

And finally, they were in the center again.

Aang heaved a huge sigh of relief.

Then, Aang realized a problem.

_Toph is still holding Azula back…_

That's when the little blue fire disappeared and the sound of crushing rubble echoed throughout the air sanctuary. Aang had imagined this moment. He had just won and his plan had worked. But he had this sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

_I have won_, thought Aang. _But at what cost…?_

.

o0o

.

A gust of wind swirled around as Aang's feet treaded on the sanctuary floor. He felt his heart stuck in his throat and all the robes and shawls he wore around himself seemed to be making him sweat. All across the floor was dust and debris. The Avatar statues had been reduced to small stones.

Slowly, Aang walked to the center of the chamber. One of the rubble he had seen was the broken face of Avatar Roku. The eyes of the statue glared accusingly at Aang. The guilt was biting on the back of his neck and turned his stomach acidic.

_What have I done…?_

Finally, he was at the center.

Toph was the first one he could see and Aang collapsed on his knees. Toph lay sprawled on the ground, her head turned to the side. Her eyes were open but she was blind, therefore, she looked terrifying. One of her hands was on her chest, the other was extended straightly on the floor—both were covered with loose sand. Her left leg was bent the wrong way.

Aang's feelings welled up inside him. "_Toph…_"

And then.

"_I'm…seriously…going to…get you…for that…Twinkle-toes…_"

Aang couldn't believe it. She was alive! He was so overjoyed that he could have hugged her. Could have. But something distracted him. Something caught his vision. He hated this new surprise. _No… No… No… No… NO!_

.

o0o

.

Azula was getting up.

.

o0o

.

Sokka helped Zuko up the cliff-face and onto the temple floor. Zhao was stepping down the airship platform, glancing at the children. "_Of all my adversaries, you people are always the one that never took a hint… You're just children, for crying out loud! You should be home, hiding—afraid of people like me!_"

As Zuko got to his feet, he said, "I refuse to be defeated by you!"

"_You can refuse all you want,_" spoke Zhao. "_But defeat is defeat. Accept it!_"

Zuko stood up and walked closer to Zhao. He didn't fear the spirit. He feared nothing from him. But Zhao could change that. Before Zuko could take another step further, Zhao butted his knee into Zuko's gut and grabbed his neck.

"_Look at you…_" Zhao mocked. "_So small…So weak… I could crush the life out of you even without Firebending… You think death stopped my revenge? No! I'm going to kill you here and now and take pleasure from it…_"

Zuko's voice was tiny and weak, but still, he spoke. "_You cannot stop all of us, Zhao… You WILL fall… And I hope I'm there to watch it happen—just like the last time…_"

"_YOU INSOLENT BRAT!_" Zhao shouted. "_You think I've slipped into this world so easily? It took a mountain of force and hatred to displace myself out of the Spirit World! And nothing can stop me! I have the Avatar now! I will conquer the world!_"

"Oh yeah?" said Sokka. "Well, we have _your_ Avatar now! Where do you think she's gone, Zhao? Didn't she just disappear from your clutches?"

Zhao smiled. "_Ah… You've sent the Airbender and the blind Earthbender at her… I don't think you'll take the Avatar Spirit back so easily… Azula has learned a few tricks…_"

Zhao turned back to Zuko. "_I think I'll kill you now…_"

Then, there was a whistle.

Zhao turned around. He was under the shadow of the huge Sky Bison, its tail facing him. Katara was on top with this smug smirk on her face. She waved a short goodbye and patted Appa. The beast's tail slammed onto the temple floor and a huge blast of air knocked Zhao back, releasing his grip of Zuko.

Zhao got back up, undamaged. "_Wind will not hurt me…_"

Katara was ready for another round of fighting when a sudden explosion resonated from the inner depths of the ruined temple.

Zhao smiled. "_Ah… That must be my little Avatar now…_"

.

o0o

.

Aang and Azula came crashing onto the temple floor, both locked in combat. Their entrance was a brilliant display of blue Firebending and some random Airbending.

Aang, twisted, turned, ducked, blocked, jumped, blew, spun, and evaded Azula's barrage of attacks. Meanwhile, Azula, kicked, thrashed, jabbed, punched, sliced, and breathed fire on Aang. The two were as close as they were ever going to get. But despite Azula's constant throws of fire, Aang had determination on his side. He could not fail today. The world was counting on him.

So it was Azula who was at a disadvantage. She was the one working up a sweat in this heated battle of fists and jumps. Aang had this seriousness on his face that could have cracked solid rock with one look. Azula would have to break his resolve.

A breeze blew into her face.

This was a windy day.

Aang noticed that for an entire second, Azula had stopped using Firebending. She seemed transfixed onto something else. Her mind was resetting.

Azula's attacks quickly changed. She was spinning now, diving, twirling, flowing, and maneuvering around Aang. This didn't look like any Firebending move Aang had learned.

And then, he felt the breeze focus. It was now blowing harder on him.

Azula was Airbending.

_It is a weaker form of Airbending_, Aang thought. _But it is Airbending nonetheless. She is focusing the wind with minute movements, pushing them against me… It is horribly distracting…_

Aang thought of an even more chilling thing. _It has been a long time since I had seen another Airbender… For a long time, I had hoped that some other Airbender survived… I had hoped to see someone other than me doing some Airbending… But watching Azula Airbend scares me…_

And that fear sprouted new anger in Aang and forced him to fight more violently. He too focused air on Azula, channeling it in more extreme and advanced methods of Airbending. Azula's weaker Airbending against Aang's stronger Airbending should have failed her. But Azula was not defeated.

Azula alternated between weak Airbending and ferocious Firebending.

Katara and Zuko had come by Aang's side to help now. Even Appa was mixed in the fight. But Azula was proving to be a strong opponent. She distracted her opponents with Airbending and surprised them with amazing feats of Firebending. Azula's Firebending seemed a dozen times more powerful than Zuko's little flame. Every time Katara used the water whip, or Aang thrust some air, or Zuko punch a fireball, Azula would always distract them with Airbending. When they were surprised, Azula mixed in blue flames and forced them back.

Sokka came to Aang's side. "Where's Toph?"

"She's in the sanctuary," answered Aang. "She's injured. Go and help her!"

And Sokka ran.

Zhao called onto Azula. "_Stop fighting! We must escape! We can leave the scrolls behind!_"

Azula wasn't so easily assured. "Don't be an idiot! These people will follow us!"

"_Then what do you suggest?_" Zhao scowled.

Azula turned to Appa. She shot a huge fireball that instantly enveloped the Sky Bison. Appa moaned and cried. Its fur was being roasted. Its legs and head were getting blackened. Appa was turning into a giant fireball.

.

o0o

.

Aang stopped fighting and watched as Appa burned.

.

o0o

.

Katara immediately rushed to Appa's rescue. "I don't have much water!" she cried.

Katara splashed whatever she had onto Appa's burning fur. Patches of skin were already showing. Appa wildly tried to roll it away. The beast was now crazy as it ran around the temple, constantly trying to rid itself of the burning sensation that engulfed its whole body.

Zuko came in and used Firebending to weaken the flames. It wasn't enough though.

Appa moaned. Its helpless cries pierced the very soul of those who were dear to it. Even the temple seemed to sag under the moans of a dying Sky Bison.

Aang had tears and teeth. He ran up to his friend and blew a wild gust of wind onto Appa, snuffing the flames one by one. Aang didn't rest until the last flicker of flame was blown away.

When Appa was nothing more than a black smoldering heap, it coughed.

Alive.

Appa was alive.

Aang turned to the distance.

Their distraction had worked. Azula and Zhao had escaped yet again.

Aang could see their airship from his spot. They weren't so far away. But Azula knew they couldn't follow them now. Appa was their means of travel and now, he was burned. It would take days for Appa to fully heal and even longer before they would go after them again.

Azula and Zhao had just bought themselves some time.

.

.

.

**Western Air Temple****, topside (evening)**

It was quiet again. The glowing cinders in the fireplace were slowly fading away. The group wouldn't eat here, wouldn't sleep. They would have to find a way to rest without stopping. The failed attack today only fueled their need to avenge themselves.

Aang and Katara were on top of the temple, hauling Appa and Toph up with some ropes they had brought along. Appa wasn't sky-worthy for the time being but at least the Sky Bison was helping Aang and Katara lift himself up. It bbeated its large tail up and down, pushing air downwards and pushing itself up.

When Appa was topside, Aang and Katara helped Toph to the ground. Katara had some water at the ready. "Does it still hurt?"

Toph winced as she poked her left leg. "Oh yeah. I never knew a leg could twist this way…"

"Are you sure you don't want me to correct it?" Katara asked kindly.

"_Are you crazy?_" she proclaimed. "I'd rather live my life with a twisted leg than put it back. And keep your chubby little fingers away from my leg!"

A pounding vein surfaced on Katara's forehead. '_Chubby little _fingers' was the last straw. She had enough of her constant bitterness. With one swift move, Katara twisted Toph's leg back into shape.

"_**YEEAOOOW!!**_"

Katara put an innocent hand to her lips and feigned remorse. "_Oops…_"

.

o0o

.

Aang was too deep in thought to listen to Toph's screeching. He patted Appa's fur and nestled his head on an exposed patch of bare skin. Appa groaned, but Aang was gentle. "_It's gonna be okay, buddy… You'll be better soon…_" And Appa felt Aang's tears on his skin. It seemed to calm the numbing pain.

Aang gave one last pat on Appa's fur. "I'll go down and see how Sokka and Zuko are doing… You rest up…"

Appa groaned, agreeing.

And Aang descended down the ropes towards the air temple.

But as soon as he cleared the top rock-face, he was able to see the temple. And Aang saw the temple burning.

.

o0o

.

Aang ran up to Sokka and Zuko. "_What are you two doing?_"

Sokka turned to Aang. "You have to understand what we're doing, Aang."

Aang pointed to the flames that engulfed the temple walls and towers. The heat was so intense that they had to stand at the edge of the temple patio. "_How_ can I understand the fact that you're _burning_ an air temple?"

Sokka touched Aang's shoulder. "_Please_, Aang. You have to understand. Did you see what Azula did to us today? She Airbended, Aang. Being a Firebender was bad enough, but now she's Airbending! Pretty soon, she'll know how to do all the bending techniques and we won't stand half a chance!"

Aang was furious. "What does _that_ have to do with burning the Western Air Temple to the ground?"

"It's to gain an advantage," spoke Zuko. "My sister _can_ Airbend, but she's not very good at it yet."

Sokka continued. "Look at it this way. All around the world, there are great masters of each element. You can find Waterbenders in the Water Tribes, Earthbenders in the Earth Kingdom, Firebenders in the Fire Nation. They're everywhere. So, Azula could just walk around into any of those nations and snatch some bending master. She could learn the elements easily. She would be Avatar before the end of the season.

"But there is no Airbending master left among the Air Nomads. Azula relies on finding scrolls left behind in the Air temples. And there are only four of these temples around the world. Azula has only _four_ places to find scrolls and learn Airbending. So, that will slow her down."

Zuko nodded. "But we _can't_ let Azula master all four elements. _We can't_. If she does, then no one will stop her. We need an advantage. She can easily master water and earth, but not _air_. Aang, _you_ are our advantage. You and _only_ you can be the master of Airbending. That is our chance of winning—my sister's only blindspot.

"_The Last Airbender…_"

"So we have to prevent her from mastering Airbending!" Sokka exclaimed. "We have to eliminate all the places that can teach her Airbending—starting here, the Western Air Temple."

Aang could understand their logic, but he wouldn't have any of it. "_No! I won't let you destroy my home!_"

"You have to be reasonable!" shouted Sokka. "Azula could come back here and finish her training! We can't allow that! We _can't!_"

"_You _are our only hope, Aang," said Zuko.

Sokka nodded. "You are the only person left who has a shot at taking Azula down."

.

o0o

.

Aang was stricken, desolate. He couldn't say anything that would convince Sokka or Zuko to stop burning down the Air temple. All he had left was their word. Katara had come down from the top to protest against Sokka and Zuko's rash decisions, but they wouldn't stop the fires.

So Aang just stared at the flickering flames. The temple burned for a whole night. The support columns became brittle. The libraries that held the Airbending scrolls were now ash in the wind. The entire temple collapsed overnight.

When morning came, the Air temple remains were completely blackened. The wind and the mists howled throughout the temple. It was truly barren now.

.

.

.

_Truthfully, I just felt hollow after typing this down. Crushing Toph. Burning Appa. Annihilating Air temples. I've been writing a lot of sadistic things in my life and this is one of those that mark__ me._

_Sentimental moment over. This chapter is crucial to the plotline (I always say that, don't I?) and the story's doing well. I've made an error in chapter 11. The next Avatar Fanfiction discussion panel would be on the __**20**__**th**__ chapter, not the 19__th__. I just wanted to clear that up, is all…_

_I guess I have nothing else to say._

_Kojab8890, out._


	15. Chapter 15: The Sandbar

It continues...

_Author's Note: __I was able to create this story with some ideas I had thought of when I was thinking about the Avatar universe. There were some scenes that I wished would come out and I've decided to add it here. Hope this is good and hope you enjoy the read. I just hope I can hand out the goods. The hiatus was cut short as I decided on the next nine chapters, but still, things would go quite slow. Updates will be posted whenever I can post or whenever I finish my story. Now, let's begin with the other half of Book Air._

_Disclaimer: I own no part of Avatar, the Last Airbender. But this story and this plot is entirely of my own creation. Any similarities to the official Avatar plotline are mere coincidences or are used for necessary events in the story. The same goes with the characters and settings._

Book 4

_Air_

Chapter fifteen:

The Sandbar

.

.

.

**North Pole, Northern Water Tribe**

If one were to travel to the North Pole, the sight of the newly opened city would be breathtaking. Most people would be enthralled by the sights of earthen monorails in the Earth Kingdom or mail chutes that cascade down Omashu's slopes. In the Fire Nation, the metal buildings and gates would become commonplace. But the Water Tribes were different. There are so little of this culture left that when someone stumbles upon them, they'd find themselves transfixed in a totally different world.

This was a city made of ice and water.

The city of change.

A traveler who would encounter the frozen city would first land on the icy harbor. This harbor did not exist during the time of the Great War as the North Pole was kept entirely on the defensive. A large ice wall, meters thick, guarded the entrance of the city at that time, but was melted to support open customs and trade. The harbor is thronged with all types of boats, all from different walks of life.

The next thing a traveler might find would be the vast network of canals and gondolas that spanned the entire city. These were the "streets" of the Northern Water Tribe and they had transportations to match it. Small gondolas fitted with Waterbenders taxied anyone to any destination in the city. It was a beautiful way to access the water tribe.

Another thing the traveler would certainly never miss was the colors. While anyone could cross the world seeing nothing much but brown ground and black stone, the Northern Water Tribe was an astounding white and blue that continued as far as the eye could see. It was entirely alien and the "whiteness" could disorient first time visitors to the city.

Once the traveler got used to all the white and blue, braved the high prices of the gondola boaters, and sailed past the hundreds of ice buildings that comprised the city, they would come across the center of the water tribe—a place where everyone met and greeted.

This was the Tribal Hall.

As the traveler stepped off the gondola, they would have to walk down this long stretch of ice, a snowy road lined up with ice totem poles carved with the spirits they worshipped. At the end of this road was the tribal hall, a huge structure that overlooked the entire water tribe. On the very top was the shinning emblem of the Water Tribe.

The closer one got to the Tribal Hall, the more one could see the natives of this white city. The patriarchs were dressed in blue and white fur coats that were all enamored with little polished shells and polar bear tufts.

This is where the higher patriarchs lived and where the tribal chieftain resided. The Water Tribe did contain some certain ethnicity to it, but there was no doubt that the political arrangement found here surpassed anything that would have called them "indigenous".

Beyond the Tribal Hall was a small wooden boundary. And beyond that was a small frozen island with a frozen puddle inside. Wooden bridges connected to this small island but no one seems to have gone here in a while. And beyond that is a high waterfall that provides the city with its water—the lifeblood of the city.

And beyond that was nothing more than a frozen wasteland with howling winds and shifting snow.

What amazes the ordinary traveler are not the ice buildings or the gondolas, but the fact that people have found ways to live on this icy world. And not just live, but _thrive_—grow! The first Waterbenders carved this entire city from the ice, shaping it into a large cove—a cove that would shelter their ancestors for generations.

The Northern Water Tribe is a testament of human ambition and endurance for thousands of generations. It is a show of what man can achieve when they settle their differences and decide to move mountains. The ancient Waterbenders turned the frozen wilderness into something audacious and beautiful.

.

o0o

.

But not everything in the Northern Water Tribe is all beautiful. Not everything here is fun and snow. There is a dark side to the Water Tribe. It is an icy underworld sharper than any icicle and deadlier than any blizzard.

Beneath the Tribal Hall is a vast prison of wood, animal bones, steel, and ice. It was first created when the Water Tribes were just one big tribe. The gender differentiation caused civil unrest that led to revolutions. Women were the first to be carted off into these prisons. They died there, their bodies preserved by the cold.

But there were more revolutions, more uprisings.

The prison soon became overcrowded and the chieftains of the time decided to address the problem politically. The leader of the revolutionaries suggested of branching another Water Tribe. Thus, the Southern Water Tribe was born, free of gender differentiations and so forth.

But that prison is still there, still haunting.

.

o0o

.

Now, let's say the traveler mentioned earlier has a hidden agenda to assassinate the chieftain. His plan to look like a tourist has worked and he has made his way up the ice steps and into the Tribal Hall. He climbs to the higher levels, where the chieftain sleeps. He creeps his way to his room. In his wooly sleeve is a knife fashioned from a shark's serrated tooth. The only thing that separates him now from a simple assassination is a veil, a curtain that leads to the chieftain's quarters.

The assassin pulls the veil, his shark-knife in his hand. He shows no need to hide it. He pulls the curtains and gets ready to stab. He jumps into the room and—

—And finds himself looking at a man who seems to be shaving the hairs on his armpit with a machete.

The assassin realizes he has made a grave mistake. The chieftain is not here as of the moment. If he had paid attention to the many patriarchs walking down the snowy road that led to the Tribal Hall, he would have noticed that one of those patriarchs was Chief Arnook. The other grave mistake is that the man who is in the chieftain's room—the one shaving his armpit—is actually a tribal guard with a no nonsense temper and one who particularly hates people who wield shark-knives.

After a summoning of the tribal council and some protests from the assassin, the traveler is then thrown into the pits of an icy underworld.

Now, the traveler is on a different journey. The tribal guard that hates shark-knives is now pulling him roughly on the elbow. He takes the traveler into the depths of the Tribal Hall. Two Waterbenders guard the underground prison opening and reveal a large wooden prison hold kept secret by a large block of ice.

Here, the prison is brightly lit, with tusk-torches strapped to the wooden walls. But as one descends deeper into the tunnel, the wooden planks disappear, to be replaced by smooth ice. The tusk-torches disappear immediately and the tunnel becomes dark and cold. The prison now takes the shape of a horrible twisted tunnel made by some unholy ice creature.

The tribal guard takes a tusk-torch with him down the prison. The traveler encounters the unremarkable prison cells here. All of the cells are made of ice—even the bars that hold them there are made of ice. Firebenders could not melt it due to the terrible cold. The isolation from earth prevents Earthbenders from Earthbending. For Waterbenders, their hands are bound together by animal bones and bear skull-clamps.

And even if one managed to escape, they would have Waterbender guards to deal with at the entrance of the passageway. And while the escapees were cold and deprived of food, the Waterbender guards were warm and ready to fight. So there would be no exit that way. Waterbenders who had freed themselves tried making their own exits, but that too held problems. Above the prison were the many water canals. If a weakened Waterbender tried to make an escape by melting the ice above him or her, the water above would gush in and flood the entire prison. Of course, there were air pockets that allowed the entire prison some ventilation, but there were guards protecting these openings as well.

So, as we place our dear traveler into his frozen little cell, we wave him a warm goodbye, knowing that the 'goodbye' would be the last warm thing he would ever feel for a long, long time.

.

.

.

**North Pole, Northern Water Tribe, Tribal Hall, lower prison level**

The two guards watched the shadow approach them from the stairway. The footsteps were irregular, unfamiliar. The figure stepped onto the icy floor and approached the two Waterbender guards from the shadows. The figure concealed its face with a hood draped over the eyes and nose.

The first Waterbender guard responded quickly. "_Halt!_ Who goes there?"

The figure pulled the hood away from the face, revealing a sharp looking girl with short, dark hair and blue ribbons tied to hold her hair on the back of her head. Small signature hair-loopies were braided to hold her bangs away from her face.

But it wasn't just the face that caught their attention. It was the symbol on her fur coat's shoulder. It was the symbol of the tribal council.

"My name is Nora, a new addition to the Water Tribe Council. I have business to deal with in the prison chambers."

Oddly, though she did look like a Water Tribe native, she did not have the accent of the tribe. But there was something in her voice that demanded their attention, forced them to willingly obey. So, with the shoulder symbol, the demanding voice, and the appearance, the Waterbenders decided that this was the real deal.

The two nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

And the two Waterbenders melted the opening to the tunnel. Nora stepped inside and thanked them.

"And remember, ma'am," spoke the other guard. "When you want to come out, just tap on the ice and shout out your name. We'll allow you to exit then."

Nora chuckled. "It's okay, boys… This isn't my first time in these chambers."

And the two Waterbenders refroze the entrance to the prisons, sealing Nora inside.

.

o0o

.

Azula shivered as the last amounts of water sealed her in the tunnel. She reached out to the nearest tusk-torch and rubbed her hands in front of the flickering flames. She couldn't control her shivering. She was chilled to the bone.

Zhao appeared right next to her.

"_What took you so long?_" he said impatiently. "_You were the one who suggested this place and you come in late…_"

Azula gnashed her teeth together. She was too cold to launch a fiery blaze at Zhao. Snide remarks would have to do for now. "I took long because I had to braid my hair… And, I had to find a coat with this symbol," she pointed. "Luckily I found this coat with my kind of size."

Zhao lifted a tusk-torch from the wooden wall. "_Alright… Enough of the comments… You said you wanted to find your own Waterbending master and you knew exactly the right person who knew who could get you one… Lead the way…_"

Zhao's comments did not break Azula's resolve. She continued speaking. "This man—the man we are going to meet—he is a man of information and that gives him power. He's told me some interesting imprisonments back when he was in the Fire Nation. Isn't it ironic that _he_ should be the one trapped in a cell this time?"

Zhao smiled. "_Very ironic. Who is this man?_"

"I'm sure you know of him," spoke Azula with a smile. "And he knows you very well…"

Azula stopped walking and she turned to the side, facing an adjacent cell. Zhao could barely see due to the small light of the tusk-torch. But he could make out the prisoner's clothing. It was a tattered red with parts of the cloth broken and shattered. Red meant that the man was of the Fire Nation. The hair on the man's head was a grey mop. The man had a long and weakened face.

The prisoner had hatred in his eyes.

"_Zhao…_" he breathed.

It was War Minister Qin.

.

o0o

.

Qin was trying to sit up. He grabbed the ice bars with his bare hands. A sheer will-force of hatred was bringing the life back in his old eyes.

"_Zhao…_" he hissed.

Zhao stepped back. For some reason he was guilt-ridden and afraid.

Azula turned to Zhao. "I'm sure you remember War Minister Qin. You should. You sent him on a mission to rid the world of those pesky Ocean and Moon Spirits, if I recall. I wonder why he's behind icy bars…"

"_Zhao!_" Qin hissed again.

Zhao couldn't help but explain himself. "_It wasn't me who put you here, Qin! It was Zuko! He was the one who stopped our plans and warned the chieftain in advance! It was a trap for all of us and General Shinu helped him. But there is still hope for us,_" Zhao pointed out. "_We have the Avatar!_"

"I'm afraid he won't listen to you," spoke Azula calmly. "Qin is completely convinced that you either abandoned him or lied to him."

"_Be quiet!_" Zhao shot back.

Azula shook her head with a smile. She then bended her knees and came within face level to Qin. "I need you're help, War Minister."

Qin placed steady eyes on Azula. "_Why should I help you…?_"

Azula stared at the man's cell and touched the icy bars with a gloved hand. "Because I can get you out of here."

"_And how will you do that?_" asked Qin questioningly.

"I will only reveal that the moment you give me the information I need."

"_And what kind of information_ do _you need?_" Qin pointed out.

Azula placed her hands on her temples and began rubbing them, recalling a distant memory. "I remember, Qin that months ago, during the time when we began planning for our defense of the capital during the coming eclipse, you were in charge of gathering outside information about any peculiar disturbances throughout the Fire Nation. You spoke to me discreetly about a bizarre arrest that happened in a small town in the southern mainland. At the time, we dismissed it. Do you recall?"

Qin sat up completely, braving the frigid air. He was suddenly interested. The man coughed and cleared his throat. "Yes. I recall completely. And actually, _I_ did not dismiss it. _You _did. You thought it was just ludicrous and a mere rumor and you told me to forget about it."

Azula tightened her grip on the icy bars. "Now," she said, "I'm _telling you_. Remember it."

Qin released a small chuckle. "I can see your mind has returned, Princess Azula."

Azula tapped her finger on the ice. "If my state of mind has truly returned, then you should be quivering in that cell now, Qin."

Qin coughed. "_Oh… Yes… very well…_ Information then… This person…uh …Are you looking for her?"

"I will not stop until I find her. I will go back to the Fire Nation if needed be," spoke Azula firmly.

Qin shook his head. "No need to go that far… I have kept tabs on her location even after the war. _You _may not find the information relevant, but I do."

Azula smiled. "Good man, Qin. Where is she?"

"Here," spoke Qin. "She resides peacefully in the Northern Water Tribe."

Azula smiled again, feeling the good power of information. She stood up and nodded. She had what she came for. "Anything else? Do you know her specific residence here? Do you have her name?"

Qin nodded. "Yes. I know her name."

.

.

.

**North Pole, Northern Water Tribe, Residential area**

Azula entered the small ice structure. It was a one-level house with fur furnishings inside to keep the interior warm and toasty. There were bear skin rugs on the floor and other pelts on the walls. The place did not compare to the other ice structures within the area but it was still living space.

"_It is custom that you knock, you know…?_"

Azula turned around and realized that there had been an old woman who had stood beside the doorway. She had small beady eyes and choppy old lips. Her gray hair flowed down past her shoulders. This had been the woman Azula was looking for.

"Hama?" Azula asked.

The old woman was surprised. "Who wants to know?" And then, upon further inspection, she saw her visitor's eyes. "You're… You're _Fire Nation…_" she stuttered.

Azula realized her cover had been blown wide open. "How… How did you know?"

Hama pointed at her own eye. "There are no Water tribe natives with yellowish eyes. I've been around too many Fire Nation locals to know that. And you are no ordinary Fire Nation local, are you, girl? You are Princess Azula, daughter to the once proud Fire Lord Ozai—a man now imprisoned and rotting."

Azula felt the fur collar on her neck tighten. She thought she had information on her side.

Hama noticed Azula's surprise and smiled. "I have known you for quite some time. Living in the Fire Nation, I was tempted many times to storm the Grand Plaza on a full moon and take out the Fire Lord. Of course, I had to know my enemies. I have studied paintings of you, memorized every detail. I recognize you even now."

Azula turned the situation around and continued to smile. "I am flattered by your knowledge of me… Truly, I am. I am sorry for not knocking, though."

Hama got right into the point. "I am no longer in the business of hurting the Fire Nation. Why are you here?"

Azula shrugged. "I've come to ask some help."

Hama shook her head. "I want nothing to do with the Fire Nation—to do with _you_. It is hard to forgive the nation that has taken so much from me." Hama formed her hand into a claw. "And if you are wise, you will step out of my home _now_."

Azula sighed. "I was hoping that we could have a nice little chat."

Hama pointed to the doorway. "Out."

Azula started walking. Hama watched with steady eyes as the Fire Princess made her long walk to the exit. But she was certainly surprised, when out of nowhere, there was this green flash. A man with horrible-looking sideburns appeared out of thin air.

Hama attacked like it was a reflex action.

The old Waterbender liquefied the ice on the man's feet and surged it up the man's body. She covered him with water and froze him in the very center of it.

There was another green flash.

The man Hama had frozen in the ice was no longer there. Hama was horrified. Then, a dry whisper reached into her ear and said: "_Nice try…_"

Zhao grabbed Hama's wrists and prevented her from Waterbending. Hama struggled but her efforts were futile. Hama's eyes were wild. "What are you doing? Let me go! _Help! I'm being attacked! Help! Fire Nation—!_"

Azula placed a hand to the old woman's mouth. "I think that's enough from you, old woman." She turned to Zhao. "Find a way to bind her hands and set her on the floor. Hama will cooperate at this point. She has no other choice."

Zhao scowled. "_You're ordering me now?_"

Azula glared at him. "Yes. I am."

.

o0o

.

Zhao had set Hama on the floor with some strong rags tying her hands together. Another long piece of cloth was placed over Hama's mouth. Azula took a few moments to look around the house, touching the fur on the walls and floor. After this brief moment of silence and tension, Azula squatted in front of the old woman. She noticed the gag on her mouth and turned to Zhao.

"Remove the cloth on her mouth, Zhao," spoke Azula. "I think the old woman will cooperate." Azula turned to face the old woman and look her in the eye. "You _will_ cooperate, _won't you…?_"

Hama stared into her yellow eyes. Yes. She will cooperate.

Zhao grumbled as he took off the cloth from Hama's mouth. He was disgusted when he noticed that the cloth was coated in spittle.

"Now, I would like to come straight to business," continued Azula. "I am the Avatar and it is high time that I learned Waterbending. I have chosen you out of the dozen other candidates of Waterbenders to teach me the bending art. You should be flattered. I don't choose _just_ anyone."

Hama laughed. "_Avatar?_ Trust me, I have met the Avatar. You are not the Avatar."

"I can understand your disbelief. Maybe you would like a demonstration? I have learned to Airbend somewhat. I can focus moving air," she said. "I can show you. I demand you to blow some air into my face."

Hama lifted a brow. "Are you joking?"

"Do it."

And Hama blew. She didn't care whether her little breath of air was strong or not. She just did it because she had to. And just to mess with her captors, Hama mixed a little spit into her blow.

Hama then became surprised when Azula trapped her little breath into a compressed tiny little ball in between her two hands. For a second, Hama thought this was the trick. Then, Azula opened her hands into a V-shape, facing the opening towards Hama. The air blasted into her face. The force pushed her head and body back. Hama flipped back to the ground, still in a squatting position.

Hama wanted to rub her head. She bumped her head hard on the floor. "Alright… I'm convinced. There have been rumors going around, anyway." Then, her anger flared back. "_But so what?_ What makes you think I'll willingly teach you Waterbending? What makes you think I wouldn't attack you in mid-training?"

Azula stood up and walked towards a small antique desk. There was this odd comb on it. She picked it up and studied it.

Hama was horrified. "_Don't you dare touch that comb!_"

Azula, still looking away, began combing her hair with the comb. Her tone as she spoke was highly conversational, calm, and unattached.

"What really bothers me is the fact that you chose to stay in the North Pole after the war and your imprisonment in the Fire Nation. A friend of mine was able to tell me that you were taken from the Southern Water Tribe during the one of the last raids. There were unbelievable accounts that you were able to escape your first imprisonment by '_physically_' manipulating the guards to free you.

"No one believed that of course. The guards that were on duty at the time were sentenced to their own imprisonment on crimes of helping a prisoner escape."

Hama smiled at that. She chuckled actually.

"You chose to stay behind. You wanted to exact revenge on the people that had taken your people away. You imprisoned Fire Nation locals every full moon. But you were stopped and you were imprisoned yet again—this time, the prison was more cruel, more despicable."

Hama turned her head away. Her eyes were closed as she dwelled on the pain.

"After the war," Azula said, "you were freed from prison. The people that had done horrible and despicable things to you—the Fire Nation—was defeated and the war was won.

"And yet, you chose to stay here. You chose to stay in the Northern Water Tribe—away from home. You chose to live on the other side of the world where women could not express themselves like they do in the south. Why?"

Hama painfully clinched her jaw, trying to keep the tears from her eyes away from her sagged cheeks and away from the sights of this girl. "_I don't have to explain myself to you…_"

Azula stood up and started pacing around the room. "You didn't choose to stay here, _did you?_ You had no other choice. You believed that you had changed so much. You knew that your changes would _never_ be accepted back in the south. So you thought to hide your bitterness here."

Hama couldn't stop the tears now. "_Stop it! Be quiet!_"

Azula knelt beside Hama and eased her on the shoulders. "You are a hero of your tribe—the one who fought with a spirit that no prison could break. There should be a parade for you in the Southern Water Tribe. There should be people waiting for you—tears in their eyes! They should dance as you walk to the icy beaches of the South Pole. But you know you won't be welcomed—_not anymore_."

"_What do you want with me…?_" she sobbed.

Azula started combing the old woman's hair with her comb. She did it tenderly, like a child would to her mother. "I know how it feels to be so _alone_—so separated. I know how it feels to be the only person who understands you."

Azula placed the comb on Hama's hair and smiled kindly at her.

"I only want what you have wished for in a long time. _I want to help you come home…_"

Hama was breathing slowly. She wiped the tears in her eyes with her bony hands. "_How can I do that…?_"

Azula whispered into her ear, sounding very endearing. "_You must help me, Hama… You must help me fight for your beliefs and your ideals… We need to make people understand…_"

Hama nodded sadly. "_When do we start your lessons…_?"

Hama couldn't see Azula's face but if she did, she would have noticed the cunning and victorious smile plastered on her lips. "_We begin as soon as possible…_"

.

.

.

**Northern Seas, east of the Northwestern Earth Kingdom coast**** (evening)**

A typhoon was surging throughout the northern seas.

Storms rarely went past the earth's equator. This one was a rarity. And every time these rare events occurred, they were always full-blown. This storm had everything in its horrible mix: an enormous squall, strong winds, waves the size of buildings, lightning, and horrible torrents of rain.

And caught in the middle of all of this was a flying bison.

"_HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU PEOPLE?_" shouted Katara, her voice almost lost in the noise of the howling winds. "_APPA ISN'T READY TO FLY YET!!_"

"_There was no point in staying!_" shouted Sokka. "_Azula was heading north! That means they're looking for a Waterbending master! We've wasted enough time as it is!_"

Toph, her leg in an ice cast, wasn't too happy with the weather or with Sokka. "_I think I liked it better when you had your mind on your stomach!_"

"_Don't worry, Katara!_" spoke Aang on Appa's head. "_Appa WANTED to go! He wants to take Azula down as much as us! He can take a little rain!_" Aang reassured.

Katara was busy Waterbending. She was protecting them, flowing the rain around Appa. "_What I'm worried about is that Appa can't!_"

Appa was still badly burned. Most of the flesh was still exposed and the fur had lightened a bit from the blackening the creature had received from his encounters with Azula. There was still the occasional pain. When Appa would sleep, Aang would find the animal in a delusional nightmare, moaning as if still roasting in fire. But Appa had great friends that would often give him a reassuring pat. A pat was enough of a balm to cure any burn the creature suffered. Appa just needed a million more pats, though.

Lightning surged towards them.

Zuko stood up next to Katara and jammed his two fingers into the direction of the lightning bolt. The shock was sudden. Zuko had never felt that much energy surge through his body in his life. Zuko had turned into a glowing human lightning rod. When the current had passed, Zuko was left still, slightly blackened, but more or less unharmed.

Beside him, Katara shrieked when the lightning nearly struck them. "_A little closer, why don't you? You could have fried us all!_"

Zuko sat back down on the saddle. "_So sorry for trying to help!_"

Zuko's voice was followed by thunder. It was very dramatic.

Sokka couldn't contain his laughter any longer. "_Nice hair, Zuko!_"

Zuko touched his hair. All that floppy mess was now standing on its ends. He looked like his hair had been scared to death. Zuko flattened it out with both hands. In the background, Sokka couldn't stop laughing as Zuko was having a very own battle with his hair.

Aang was trying to see through the maelstrom of rain and lightning. "_The wind's too strong! Appa's having a hard time!_"

With this said, Aang pressed his fists together, forming a large sphere of air around them. The wind howled all around them, but their little space seemed peaceful in the midst of the storm.

Suddenly, Appa rocked to the side.

Toph gripped tightly on the saddle. "_WHAT'S GOING ON?_"

No one could tell for sure. Appa moaned painfully. A sharp burning pain was rising from the whole of his tail. To the bison, it felt like he was still on fire. Appa was mixing fresh burning memories with reality. Aang was losing control of Appa. The bison twisted and jerked, trying to expunge the imaginary fire that seemed to be coming onto its back.

"_Appa's going crazy!_" Aang shouted.

Sokka looked at the water below them. The waves were becoming larger and larger now. "_We're dropping too low! We have to get higher!_"

Aang pulled harder on the reigns. "_Come on, Appa! Higher…!_"

But Appa would not go higher. Appa was too busy jerking side to side to watch where they were going. Things couldn't have gotten any worse—except for this huge wave rising above them. It was so huge that the moon disappeared.

But Katara was ready for this. She placed her palms together and over her head. She then sliced downwards and spread her hands to the sides.

This simple feat of hand gestures was incomparable to its effect. As the huge wave came rising above them, the top crest of the wave was sliced right down the middle. Then, the divided wave spread to the sides, allowing a straight path for Appa to fly through.

As they cleared that obstacle, Sokka spotted something that lay beyond it. "_Look! Land!_"

Aang's squeezed his vision and saw it. The storm was still violent and unrelenting, but the land was like something else. It didn't seem to fit with the rest of the raging sea. It was too smooth by far to look like an island. But Aang wasn't picky when hope sent a lifeline their way.

Then suddenly, "_Appa's falling!_"

Aang pulled hard now, but Appa just continued to moan in pain. All of them were falling downwards in a gut-wrenching ride of spins, jerks, and dives. All their screams and shouts for help would do no good in the storm. Aang was no longer in control now. They would fall into the ocean and they would drown.

But Appa was not one to abandon his friends. Despite the burning sensations, Appa's inner core was still piloting him, telling him where to go. The island was their only hope now. And the landing wouldn't be soft.

First, a wave slammed right beneath the Sky Bison.

Appa dropped lower, inches from the hostile waters.

Katara and Aang did the best they could to divert or blow away the oncoming waves.

And Appa crashed into the sea.

It was Appa's six feet that touched the frigid waters first. The water was dragging him along, forcing him to stop. Momo was shrieking, grabbing onto Zuko's face, when suddenly, the drag was so strong, Appa plunged head-first. Its tail flipped high into the air, sending his riders flying. All of them slammed into the sea.

"_Help!_" cried Toph. "_I can't swim!_"

The experience was worse than before. Toph had an ice cast on her left leg and it was dragging her below the water's surface. She sunk beneath the waves with only one cry.

Sokka was able to reach her, diving into the deep and pulling her on the arm. They were afloat now. "_Easy now…_" Sokka soothed.

Toph was spitting saltwater from her mouth, forcing it out of her system. She was stuck in the middle of this _soup_ with only an arm for support against instant death. Sokka was proving more than useful at this moment.

"_Thanks…_" she whispered.

Sokka didn't hear it.

All of them were alive, but still in the midst of death. Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Aang, Katara, Momo, and Appa were all floating on the water, their bobbing heads appearing and disappearing in the mix of malevolent waves.

Sokka shouted to Katara. "_Katara! Get us to shore!_"

Katara and Aang were supporting each other. With Aang's support, Katara was able to force a wave from behind to push them forward, to the island that just lay up ahead.

All around them, the storm kept going, the lightning flashing in the sky. Everyone was exhausted and drained. It was so much easier to slip away into unconsciousness now and wake up in paradise.

Finally, the wave washed them on the shore. They all lay on their backs, exhausted.

.

o0o

.

The storm had not stopped.

Toph had enough strength to mold a small sand mound for shelter. The mound was large enough to hold Appa and all of them with extra room space for a bathroom. The mound was also strong enough to shield themselves from the elements which were still hard at work outside. Zuko provided a small fire for warmth. It was time they rested a bit.

Sokka peeked outside. "Looks like we'll be stranded here for the night. If we're going to stay here, we should at least find ourselves some food. We don't have much left."

Zuko shook his head as he increased their little bonfire. "I saw this island from the top. It's big but it's barren. I didn't see any trees at all. It was just one smooth island. I couldn't see trees and therefore, no food."

Aang shrugged. "Then we'll go one night without eating. It's not like we've never done that before. And besides, how long could this storm last anyway?"

Sokka was still thinking about Zuko's statement. "A smooth island, huh?" He turned to Toph. She was leaning on the mound's wall, supporting it as she rested. "Toph, can you feel any earth on this island?"

Toph placed a firm hand on the sand. "Nope. Just sand. As far as I can see, this is just one big sandy land."

Sokka understood. "This isn't just any ordinary island. This is a sandbar."

Katara was warming her hands by the fire. She listened to her brother's speculations. "So it's a sandbar… What's your point?"

"Sandbars don't form this far out at sea," spoke Sokka. "They form along the coast or nearby islands. The sand piles up into an island when land is close."

Katara shrugged." What's your point?"

"Don't you find it strange, that somehow, this large sandbar formed so far away from dry land? That would have taken a lot of piling sand just to reach the water's surface."

"Actually," spoke Aang. "I'm rather thankful that this sandbar happened to be here. We could have ended in the bottom of the ocean if this island wasn't here."

Katara laughed slightly. "Isn't it like Sokka to question a good thing?"

Sokka groaned and sat by the fire. "I'm just saying… It's just strange…"

Toph, who was still feeling the sand, began to feel uneasy. "Wait… I can feel something else on the island… I'm not pretty good at feeling through sand with my hands, but it looks like a big house… There's a big house made of sand in the middle of the island…"

Everyone looked at each other.

No one uttered a word after that.

.

.

.

**Western Sea, Earth Kingdom Ferry en route to the Fire Nation**** (evening)**

"You beat me! But that's _impossible!_ I was sure I moved the lotus tile to the left! I was sure!"

General Iroh had suffered the worst defeat in his entire life. He had lost in a game of Pai Sho. Nothing of this magnitude had ever happened in Iroh's career. _Nothing._ And what was worse was the fact that his opponent was a child with a bald head and some mucus dripping from his nose. The child had chosen to play because he liked the pictures on the game tiles. The child won purely because of dumb luck.

"What was that technique you used? _The Pai Sho legendary triple? The lotus corner shot? YOU MUST TELL ME! YOU MUST!_"

The child yawned and picked his nose.

The child's father stepped out of the watching crowd. He was filled to the brim with pride. "He's good isn't he? A chip of the old block. I taught him all he knows. Isn't that right, son?"

The child smiled at his father and drooled.

"_He's amazing!_" Iroh proclaimed with a show of hands. "_He moved so fast that I—I—I was bamboozled by the speed of my own defeat! I've never seen anything like it!_"

The father smiled. "Yup. He sometimes does that. He calls it the 'blinding speedy trick'. It always gets past everything."

Iroh pulled on his long beard, still agape. "Astounding…"

The man began to rub his hands together. "So… Where's the money?"

"Excuse me?"

"Didn't my son win anything?"

Iroh began to chuckle when he realized what the man said. "_Oh… No._ We didn't gamble on anything. Pai Sho is a game played for its enjoyment. It is not played for material thrills."

The father seemed furious. "So my son didn't win _anything_?"

Iroh raised his hand up and looked to the sky. "He did. He won the glory of victory!"

"That's not how we played it back home," retorted the father angrily. "Back home, it was a _manly_ game and bets were always placed down before we started. Those that won were always marked down as the best in the world and they became rich men! This is not how Pai Sho is played!"

Iroh rubbed his beard further. "I can see that I have been misled with this type of unmanly Pai Sho all my life. I have seen the error of my ways. Come sit down on the other side of the board and we will have a game of _manly_ Pai Sho. I shall place bets and so will you."

The man stepped back, shuddering. He was hesitating now. "Oh… I would, but…uh… the captain, he's ordering everyone into their quarters for now…"

Iroh did not hear of this news. "Really? Why?"

The man looked to the horizon. "He is afraid. There are rumors going around. It seems that the Avatar has changed. A lot of disturbing things are going on and the Avatar seems to be the one behind it. The captain doesn't want any of us staying out late at night."

Iroh did not know of this. "The Avatar? But didn't he save the world?"

The man shook his head. "Not this Avatar."

"There is a _different_ Avatar?"

The man nodded. "That's what the rumors say. If I were you, I'd head back into your quarters. These are strange times, sir. I fear another war is on the rise."

Iroh stood up with a firm face. "I'll look into this, immediately."

The man encouraged him. "You do that, sir."

As soon as Iroh left, the man sighed with relief.

"That was too close…" And then, "Stupid old man…"

Then, he noticed his son began wiping his mucus all over his hand.

.

.

.

**North****ern Sea, Sandbar (evening)**

"We have no choice," spoke Katara. "Appa's conditioning is worsening. If we don't get him some herbs soon, his wounds could…hurt him more…"

After an hour of resting, everyone noticed that Appa began moaning again. This time, it wasn't the burning sensation. Appa was suffering from impact wounds when the beast had crashed head first into the water. There was no bleeding, which was a good thing. But if Appa wasn't relieved of the pain soon, he would suffer from intense head trauma. Herbs. They were needed. The world's best natural muscle relaxant and painkillers. Water can only heal—it can't take pain away.

Sokka looked out the opening. "No way are we going out to another island to find some herbs. The storm's still raging outside."

"We have to try!" Aang said, desperate. "We can't let Appa die!"

"No one said we were going to let Appa die," spoke Katara.

"We may not have to leave the island," said Zuko.

Toph was skeptical. "You think there're herbs in that sand house I was talking about earlier."

"It's our best bet," spoke Zuko. "If we go out of the island, the storm will just take us away. We have something right here. I think it would be easier if we check it out. There's nothing to lose."

Katara nodded. "I'm with Zuko on this one."

Sokka was still staring at the storm outside. "I think we have _a lot_ to lose. The storm's getting rougher and rougher with each passing moment. If we do have to go out, might I suggest going out in pairs. It'll be a lot safer that way. One of us will have to stay behind. Katara?"

Katara shook her head. "You guys wouldn't know what kind of plant we're looking for. I'm going."

Toph raised her hand. "I'm staying. My legs are still out and this whole sand shelter would collapse once I leave it."

Aang nodded. "Then let's go. We've got no time to waste."

.

o0o

.

Aang, Katara, Zuko, and Sokka were braving the elements. Sokka was smart enough to tie ropes to each other in case the wind suddenly blew them apart. The rain was beating against their bodies, forcing them to squint in the darkness. Zuko's flame served as guidance.

"_We need Toph here!_" shouted Katara. "_We don't know where we're going!_"

"_How hard is it to find a house made of sand anyway?_" Sokka asked.

"_It's dark! Unless you can SEE in the dark, then it'll be easy!_"

Zuko shined his fire on something. "_Guys! There's something over here!_"

There was a flash of lightning and suddenly, their surroundings became clear for a brief moment. Now, they were standing in front of what they were looking for—only it wasn't exactly what they expected.

It was a huge sand castle.

This sand castle had towers and pillars like any other sand castle a child could ever make—only it was fifty times larger now. A huge metal door marked the entrance. The sand that composed the castle was compacted so tightly that the battering rain did nothing to break it apart. There seemed to be no markings of any type of nationality on the metal doorway. It was what it was. There was a _real_ sand castle standing in the middle of this strange sandbar.

Aang went to the metal door and knocked.

The door opened inwards and a bald, mustached man poked his head out, into the rain and looked at the four dark figures that stood outside.

The bald man smiled. "Ah… The professor's been expecting you people for a long time, now…"

Katara was amazed. "_Professor?_"

Zuko couldn't believe it. "_Expecting?_"

Aang didn't understand. "_A long time…?_"

Sokka was scratching his head. "You got any food?"

The bald man nodded happily. "The professor has prepared a large sumptuous dinner for all of you. Please… Come inside."

And the four stepped inside.

.

o0o

.

The interior of the castle was actually quite different from its exterior. Though the walls and ceilings were made of sand, there were also other things too. There was a spiral metal staircase, a wooden desk, and odd artifacts from each of the four nations. The entrance led immediately into the dining hall. A steel table was set up and there was a man sitting down, looking all happy. It was all so accommodating but everyone couldn't help but feel that this was some sort of surreal trap.

The four of them were seated on the table. The storm outside seemed to fade away in this peaceful room.

The man in the front of the table smiled at them. "Hello."

The four of them spoke in unison. "_Hello…_"

The man seemed like a nice sort of person. He had brownish hair and hazel eyes. He seemed handsome-looking and his whole attire was polished and formal. The teeth in the man's smile were extremely white.

"My name is Professor Yu Shik. And you are all my humble guests. Eat. I assure you that your tongues have never tasted anything like it."

"It" was in reference to the steaming bowls of food placed right in front of them, tempting them to devour them. But of course, the group was apprehensive. Zuko was thinking along the lines of: _Poison. This man knows us and he has decided to place poison in the food. We have to escape._ Katara was thinking along the lines of: _I wish Sokka would stop drooling all over his plate._ Aang was thinking along the lines of: _We have no time for this! Appa's just going to get worse and we need to find some medicine for him now!_ Sokka's thinking was as predictable as a rock.

But all that thinking just melted away at the first savoring of food.

Zuko couldn't believe his taste buds. "_It's… It's… so good…_" he said, surprised that the food was actually amazing.

"It's just like how mother used to make them!" Katara said as she took another helping.

Professor Yu Shik smiled. "I'm glad you like it. My helper fashioned the best recipes he could find just to prepare for your arrival."

"How _did_ you know we were coming?" asked Zuko, still untrusting.

The man pointed up. "I was there in my observatory, watching the storm and making predictions, when suddenly, my vision gets blocked by a flying white Sky Bison. And then, I think to myself, 'an Airbender'? I saw you children fall out of the sky. And then, I decided to prepare the meal. It took you quite some time to come here though."

As Sokka devoured his food, he began noticing the relics that were placed all over the room. Most of them were weapons. He recognized a few of them. There were Water Tribe clubs and machetes. But aside from these things, most of the artifacts seemed to be related to bending.

Sokka turned to the professor, and with a mouth full of food, he began to ask. "Are you a bender, mister professor, sir?"

Professor Yu Shik smiled and laughed. "Oh. No. I've never bended an element in my life."

Sokka nodded. And then, he scratched his head. "Um…_sir_? What are you 'professor' of exactly?"

The man smiled, happy to be asked the question. "_Ah._ Very good question. I am a '_bendologist_'. I study the bending arts—its history, its uses, and all that stuff. In fact, I am more than delighted to find myself in the middle of a variety of benders."

Katara was surprised. "You could tell we could bend elements?"

Professor Yu Shik nodded happily. "Oh, yes. Like this one," he said as he looked at Zuko. "Judging from the ill-temper, the edgy questions, the eyes, and the tense muscles, I can tell from observation that this young man is a Firebender."

Zuko growled at the descriptions.

Sokka laughed. "He's got you there, Zuko."

Professor Yu Shik turned to Katara. "And you. I can see the delicate hands, the fierce expressions, the clothes, and the eyes. A Waterbender, am I right?"

Katara nodded.

The man then turned to Aang and he smiled immediately. "No need to describe. The arrow says it all. And in case you faked it, I can tell from your aloof-ness, your vegetable diet, and your odd comedic presence. You're an Airbender."

Aang smiled.

The professor then turned to Sokka. "_And you!_"

Sokka suddenly felt guilty and pointed to himself. "_Who…me?_"

"_Yes, you!_"

"_Couldn't be!_"

"_Then who?_"

"I think… I think… Wait!" Sokka halted. "What are we talking about?"

Professor Yu Shik laughed hard now and started patting the table with his hand. "That always gets the newcomers. Anyway, I could tell from the stance and the need to eat that you are something else—something I've never come to expect to sit by my table.

"_You're the Avatar!_"

This small outburst nearly knocked Sokka to the floor.

Professor Yu Shik laughed harder this time, grasping his stomach and trying to gasp for air. "_That_ was priceless! No, no! You're not the Avatar. You're a warrior, aren't you?"

"I thought you could only tell a person's kind of bending?" asked Sokka.

"You pick up a lot of things in your travels," spoke Professor Yu Shik.

As Zuko kept digging into his food, he couldn't help but feel guilty. "I can't help but feel that we're missing someone."

.

o0o

.

_It finally stopped!_

Toph could hear the loud pitter-patter of the rain finally come to an end. The thunder from the skies was gone. The storm was fading away. Toph never felt more peaceful at this moment in her entire life. The quiet was welcoming. Nothing could be more serene than silence and being alone.

Appa moaned.

Toph rubbed the Sky Bison's fur, comforting the spooked creature. "It's going to be okay, Appa. They'll be back with your medicine soon. And can't you hear? It's finally quiet. No more rain."

But Appa moaned with a shaking of head, as if disagreeing with Toph. Toph felt it and couldn't understand why. Suddenly, Momo jumped onto Toph's lap, afraid.

Toph could tell something was wrong.

"What's wrong, Momo?"

Momo was squeaking and jumping, alerting Toph. Something was coming. And the 'something' was not any of Toph's friends. From what Toph could hear, it wasn't even human.

_ZZzzzzzz…_

The buzzing sound droned on and on. At first, Toph thought her ears were ringing. And then, the buzzing sound got louder and louder. The buzzing sound became angry. The sound became so strong now that there was more than just one creature making it.

_ZZzzzzzz…_

Then, there was a crash as something _huge_ slammed onto the outside wall of Toph's little sand shelter. Momo jumped. Appa freaked. Toph couldn't tell what it was, but she knew the sound was familiar. She had heard it somewhere, a long, long time ago.

Then, she realized what was attacking them.

_Buzzard-Wasps!_

.

o0o

.

"Professor?" asked Katara. "We were wondering if you had any herbal medicine—something to cure head pains. Our Sky Bison got injured when we crashed into the sea."

Professor Yu Shik nodded solemnly. "I'll ask my helper if he has any of the sorts in storage. We usually have one of those lying around."

The professor and the group were still sitting around the table. The food had been cleared out in more ways than one. After the meal, everyone was able to relax. They even heard the rain disappear outside which was a good thing. During their quiet time, the group was able to notice more of the dining room. The four walls of the room had the insignias of each nation. But the most striking sign was the one painted on the very ceiling of the room. It was a giant circle with black and white portions. This was the Yin and Yang sign.

"Professor Yu… what were you last studying on?" asked Aang out of the blue.

Professor Yu Shik couldn't be more delighted. "I've never met such inquisitive children in all my life. But I believe a lecture would bore you all to death. I've known kids to have short attention spans."

Katara smiled. "We're a different generation, professor. We listen if it helps—except Sokka. My brother doesn't listen even if it's good for him."

Sokka was wounded. "Hey!"

The professor smiled. "This will be my first lecture in a long time. But I should start somewhere at the very least." The man looked around and decided he had some presentations to make. He saw the black and white Yin-Yang sign above.

"Lately I've been studying about the special techniques of each bending art. The arts are diverse in nature and the methods of manipulating the elements are extraordinarily many—hundreds in fact! But from recent studies, I have made some odd discoveries within each bending art."

"_Odd discoveries?_" asked Sokka, intrigued.

Professor Yu Shik nodded and then pointed to the Yin-Yang symbol. "This may not seem new to you, but all energy, no matter what form, has a positive and negative side—the Yin and Yang. Just recently, I have applied this to the bending arts. I was able to conclude that each bending technique has its own '_Yin_' and '_Yang_'."

Zuko seemed to recall some similar conversation before with Master Jeong Jeong. "My Firebending Master once told me that there is a 'light' and a 'dark' side to bending."

The professor nodded. "Then you have a wise master because it is true. But in science, we do not believe in the 'good' and the 'bad'. Moral issues have nothing to do with the way fire can be thrown. But for the sake of it, let us call it the '_light_' and the '_dark_' side of bending—the '_pure_' and the '_extreme_'. What else did your Firebending Master say? What did he say about Firebending in general?"

Zuko turned away, looking at the metal table with heavy doubt. "My Master said that it was a curse. Firebending harms people. He says nothing good comes from it."

"I understand," spoke the professor. "But it is not you or your master's fault why Firebending ended up this way. Ever since it was first discovered, it was a form of offensive art—a purely offensive art. Firebending focuses on preemptive striking—dealing damage before your opponent can throw his shot.

"Now, the Yin and Yang of bending can be shown in Firebending. Bending in general, have pure and extreme forms—the 'light' and the 'dark'. A _pure_ form of a bending art deals with the ability to _not_ cause harm. Nowadays, people use their bending techniques to inflict damage. A bending form reaches purity when it _reverses_ that idea—when it _doesn't_ hurt someone or it becomes highly defensive. _Unfortunately_, I have not heard of any pure forms of Firebending. But maybe, one day, eh?"

Zuko nodded sadly. "But what about the 'extreme'?"

"An '_extreme_' form of bending is something else. When a bending form inflicts damage at the highest level, then that is referred as the '_extreme_'—the dark. Firebending has various forms of 'extremes' since it is purely on offensive. I have studied some special extreme forms of Firebending. Lightning generation is an extreme form of Firebending. Only a select few can do it. One shot and instant…uh…_end_."

Professor Yu Shik realized that he had piqued the attention of the rest of the group. His topic was interesting. The professor looked at the walls of his room and noticed the green Earth Kingdom insignia. He decided to continue on with his lecture.

"Earthbending is not excluded from this purity and extreme. Earthbending exercises both defensive and offensive techniques. But sadly, I have not studied it too much yet. Although there are some defensive methods of Earthbending, I have not classified any of them as 'light'—_pure_. But I bet there is, I just haven't hear of anything yet."

"Too bad," smiled Sokka. "Toph could have used something _pure_. Get it? Pure! 'Cause she's so dirty! Get it! _Get it?_"

Everyone looked at Sokka. No one was laughing.

The professor scratched his head. "Who's Toph?"

Sokka sighed, disappointed. "Just go on with your lecture, professor…"

Professor Yu Shik smiled, continuing again. "Though I have not heard of any pure forms of Earthbending, I have studied some extreme forms—though, I have to admit, they might disturb you children."

That little statement was enough to get them hooked. "No," said Katara. "This is interesting. Please, continue. We want to know."

"Are you sure?" asked the professor, slightly uneasy.

"Yes," they said in unison.

Professor Yu Shik nodded. "I was discovered this extreme form of Earthbending in the most unlikely place in the world. In the Earth Kingdom, there is this desert—the Si Wong Desert. Earthbending here is hard as the sand is loose, which is an opposition to the hard nature of rock. But that doesn't mean that some people haven't gotten around that. Some people have developed a sub-Earthbending technique called 'Sandbending' which manipulates sand a lot better than normal Earthbending."

Katara smiled. "Don't worry professor. We know of this."

The professor smiled. "Then that makes this whole explanation a lot easier. When I scoured the world for odd bending techniques, I stumbled across a forbidden bending move among the tribe…"

The professor stopped. He was hesitating. Bearing this knowledge scared him but only intrigued his listeners.

"You must tell us," spoke Katara. "We'd really like to know."

"Are you sure?" asked the professor. "Because bearing this peace of knowledge in your minds won't make it easier to sleep at night. To imagine such ability in the hands of a person is horrific and deadly. It is a technique that has haunted those who know of it since its creation."

.

o0o

.

Toph was in terrible pain.

The Buzzard-Wasps had already collapsed the sand mound and were now taking bites from above. Toph, Appa, and Momo were defenseless as the large predators dived from above and took bits of fur and skin. Toph could not see them in the air and therefore, she couldn't attack. And an added bonus was Toph's left leg in an ice cast.

"_Hold on, Appa!_" Toph cried. "_I can't see them!_"

The Buzzard-Wasps were merciless. With their large beaks, they took wild snaps at their prey. This was easy kill. The large Sky Bison was weak. The little girl could not see or attack them. The only bothering thing was the flying lemur as it took crack shots by bumping into them in the air, disturbing their attack.

Toph threw large clumps of sand into the air, hoping to hit the predators. But her arms were weak and her shots didn't reach as high. Plus, the Buzzard-Wasps knew when to avoid feeble shots even without eyes.

Toph was close to giving up. "_I'm so sorry…_"

Buzzard-Wasps could sense weakness like blood on a dead animal. The queen Buzzard-Wasp, which was easily identified due to its red streak on the forehead, took this moment to jump on the little girl, its large body easily overcoming the girl's weight and forcing her to lie down on the sand. With its sharp beak, the predator began biting Toph's arms and scratching her face with sudden jerks and flicks.

Toph was crying.

The pain was horrible.

The Buzzard-Wasp could sense its prey giving up. So the predator reached down to take a bite out of Toph's face.

Toph stopped it with her hand.

The queen Buzzard-Wasp was biting on Toph's hand, ferociously trying to snap the piece of meat in its beak. But Toph was desperate. In the distance, she heard painful cries from Appa. She was terribly desperate.

With her free hand, Toph began Sandbending. She forced that hand forward with an open palm. Sand on the ground began collecting and flowing up. It formed a wide river of little particles that was moving up into the air. These rivers of sand started moving into the Buzzard-Wasp's beak. Toph forced more sand into the predator, pushing into its system.

The Buzzard-Wasp wailed and coughed.

Toph continued this method. She forced more and more sand until the creature finally released its grip on her other chewed hand.

This time, the Buzzard-Wasp was crying.

All the sand inside its body was forcing it to collapse. When Toph heard the queen Buzzard-Wasp's cries, she could tell at once what she had done to it.

The Buzzard-Wasp was choking to death.

.

o0o

.

"It's called Smothering," said Professor Yu Shik.

Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Zuko were intently listening, waiting for the explanation.

"This form of extreme Earthbending was first done by a Sandbender named Ratuza of the Hammi Tribe. He was a thief and a bandit—a man with less morals than an enraged Boar-Q-Pine. The one thing the man did care for was his father. But then, another tribe killed Ratuza's father in the middle of a tribal squabble. Ratuza was enraged. He walked up to the other tribe's leader and—_smothered him_."

"He—what?" said Sokka.

"The Sandbender pulled the man's mouth open and _force-fed_ him sand. The other tribal leader choked on it. His body became full of sand until it could no longer accept all the consumption. He choked and he suffocated. He extinguished the man's life by filling him with sand—earth. It is deadly and quick. If the Sandbender doesn't choose to remove the sand after a few minutes, the person just…_ends_…"

As the professor finished his lecture, he noticed that his listeners were clutching their throats, as if imagining the death for themselves. The warrior boy was clutching his stomach.

"_I don't feel so good…_" Sokka moaned.

Professor Yu Shik decided to change the mood. "Does anyone want desert?"

All of his listener's faces turned green. They had a feeling that the desert would taste just like sand.

.

o0o

.

"Are you sure you _still_ want me to continue?" asked the professor, appalled. "You kids didn't fare so well with 'smothering'."

"We're fine now," said Zuko firmly.

"Yes," said Aang.

"What about Waterbending?" asked Katara. "Does it have _purities_?"

Professor Yu Shik smiled at last. "Oh yes. Finally, something good. Waterbending does have a pure form. It is a bending art with the ability to not just defend, but also to heal. Healing can be done by a few Waterbenders. They can remove bruises and cuts, stop internal bleeding, heal broken bones, and more."

Katara smiled smugly and turned to Aang and Zuko. She stuck her tongue out at them. She said in a sing-song voice: "_I have a pure thing… I have a pure thing…_"

Zuko was slightly annoyed. "What about extremes? What extreme technique can be found in Waterbending?"

Professor Yu Shik shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't know any."

Zuko looked at Katara. "What about that move you did before? You manipulated that man like a puppet. I remember it clearly. It looked like an extreme form of Waterbending."

Katara glared at Zuko. "_I don't talk about it!_" she hissed.

The professor sat forward, suddenly intrigued. "What is he talking about? What do you know, Katara?"

Katara glared at the professor. "It's nothing!"

"Physical manipulation?" asked Professor Yu Shik. "How is that possible? Waterbenders control water, not flesh… _Unless…_" The professor was talking mostly to himself despite everyone listening. When he turned to Katara, he had a speculation. "_You're manipulating the water inside the person!_ That _is_ an _extreme_! Oh! Where are my notes? I need to take that down! And we need to give it a name!"

"It's called _Bloodbending_," said Sokka.

"_Sokka!_" shrieked Katara. "_Don't encourage this!_"

Professor Yu Shik smiled at the name. "_Bloodbending!_ What a name! Yes. Yes. Waterbending's extreme."

"I don't like this!" spoke Katara. "That technique is just…_wrong_…"

The professor smiled softly at her. "Don't worry, Katara. It's not like _I _can do it. I can't bend. This is for knowledge's sake only. Demonstrations would be good too, but—"

"It can only be done on a full moon," declared Katara firmly.

An odd disappointment fell on the professor's face. "Oh… That makes sense… A Waterbender draws power from the moon and that power is at its strongest when the moon is full… makes sense…"

Katara crossed her arms and looked at the table. "This doesn't feel right. I don't like it when something _so_ wrong can just be written down and studied. It becomes so simple, so monotonous that you can confuse your sense of right and wrong…"

Professor Yu Shik heard this. "I understand your reactions. Everyone reacts this way. But I'm not saying that Waterbending isn't dangerous at all. Waterbending is _very_ dangerous. Waterbenders are so isolated all over the world that when you meet one, it is hard to do battle because of the stunning array of whips and movements. It is best, that when one encounters a Waterbender, to just step aside."

.

.

.

**North Pole, Northern Water Tribe, Residential area**

"_THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!!_"

"Your shrieking will get you nowhere," spoke Hama. "If you do not listen to me, then you will never learn."

"_But no one moves like this!_" Azula spoke, getting frustrated all over again. "No one can move and flow like water! The body should be rapid and fierce when attacking. Your opponent could just punch you while you're taking your time '_flowing_' with the water!"

Hama knocked Azula on the forehead with her knuckles. "That is your problem! You're thinking like a Firebender! There are many forms of fighting, Azula. Others choose to attack, some choose to defend, and others wait for the attack and throw it right back at them. You're just thinking in one direction!"

For the past few hours, Azula had been knee-deep in icy waters, constantly trying to move a stream of water. Nothing happened. Nothing seemed to work for Azula. The only thing that seemed to happen was the numbing of Azula's legs in ice-cold water. Hama insisted that Azula stay in the cold until she learned to push and pull the water like the tide.

Azula tried the motion again.

Hama was quick to be brutal. "No! _No!_ You move too fast, too quickly. Be patient with the water. While your Firebending draws energy from the inside, Waterbending draws power _outside_. Your internal energy may flow freely, but water that is not of your body has to be moved _patiently_ since it is not _from_ you."

Azula tried to push and pull the water again.

"_NO! You're doing it all wrong!_ Take slow steps! Shift your weight through your stances! Move your arms like the soft flowing of water!"

Azula turned around to face her instructor with anger and impatience. "_STOP SHOUTING AT ME, OLD WOMAN! DO YOU WANT TO COME HOME?_"

Hama just stood there, fists clenched.

Azula stepped forward, to Hama. "_I've just had enough of you—!_"

In that moment, Hama extended a droopy hand which became stiff in an instant. Azula couldn't move forward all of a sudden.

The water all around Azula's legs froze.

Hama looked Azula in the eye. "The only way you'll get out of the ice is if you listen to me for once and take my advice on Waterbending!"

Azula growled. "_I'll show you Waterbending!_"

Azula began doing a series of complex movements that involved some arm swaying, body shifting, finger curling, wrist rotating, and shoulder flexing. Azula looked like a master Waterbender performing an advanced series of dances. When Azula had finished, her fingers were extended upwards.

Hama's expression was dull.

"Nothing happened."

Azula was still irate. "_I'm not finished yet! I still have to bend my body forward and then I can—'SPLASH'!_"

Azula fell into the icy water.

But more importantly, Azula did what Hama did not see because of Azula's confusing movements and dances.

Azula melted the ice back into water.

.

.

.

**Northern Sea, Sandbar, Professor Yu Shik's sand castle**

Aang felt cold sweat dripping down his forehead. The professor had this large bundle of papers all bound together as a sort of notebook and he was taking down new information. He had a feeling that when the professor was done taking down his notes, he would turn to Aang.

Aang was right.

Professor Yu Shik closed his notebook and smiled at Aang. "Now…Airbending.

Aang tensed up.

"Airbending is a thoroughly defensive art as opposed to Firebending which is offensive. The Air nomads enforced their peaceful ideals into their bending techniques. This means that the whole art itself is purity—no bad side except for some blasting techniques. Airbending is pure. No extremes, whatsoever."

Aang sighed, relieved.

"_But_, there are rumors going around. An old man had the air sucked right out of his lungs. _That_ is an extreme."

Professor Yu Shik looked straight into Aang's eyes. "Do you know of this, Aang?"

Aang gulped hard. "I've heard of the rumors."

The professor began tapping his chin. "_Heard?_ Are you sure? Because the last time I checked, there was only _one_ Airbender that survived the genocide that happened a hundred years ago. That Airbender happens to be sitting in this table at my very home. So, how did you do it?"

Aang was sweating hard. "Do what?"

"The old man," spoke the professor. "How did you kill him?"

Katara stood up in outburst. "_Are you accusing Aang of doing that to the old man?_"

Aang was furious. "But I didn't do it!"

Professor Yu Shik cackled hard. "Isn't that the most used line in the world? Just tell us now, Aang! There's only _one_ logical explanation—one _Airbender_. You're the only person in the whole world who could do that! But don't worry! This is natural! All people lose their grip at some point."

"_I didn't do it!_" Aang shouted.

"You can keep denying it, Aang!" laughed the professor. "But we _all_ know _you_ did it! So, I am demanding a demonstration! Show me this technique and I will write it down, take notes."

Aang had gone stiff. "_Demonstrate?_"

"Yes!" spoke the professor. "You can do it on that stupid warrior boy!"

"Hey!" shouted Sokka.

Zuko stood up. "Let's leave! This man has gone crazy!"

"_A demonstration!_" laughed the professor. "_I need a demonstration!_"

The group stood up and started walking away. All of their faces were furious.

But then, the helper blocked their path and locked the metal door. No one was getting out. Professor Yu Shik laughed and cackled. "_You're not going anywhere until you give me a demonstration!_"

"But I don't know _how_!" Aang protested.

"_LIES!!_"

Suddenly, the sand on their feet trapped them and covered their legs. All of them couldn't move, couldn't break free. Someone was Sandbending. That someone was Professor Yu Shik. "_I DEMANDED A DEMONSTRATION!!_"

"_He's a Sandbender!_" Sokka exclaimed.

"_Let us go!_" demanded Zuko. "We have another friend outside! She knows where we are and she'll stop you!"

The professor laughed all the more. "Oh, so you have a friend outside? Then she must be gone by now. My Buzzard-Wasps hate the rain. But when the rain stops, they go out and explore. They must have noticed your friend already! And Buzzard-Wasps are naturally hungry! HA!"

Aang was stunned. "_TOPH! What did you do to Toph?_"

The professor stopped laughing and looked at Aang. He seriously asked him, "Who's Toph?"

In that moment, Aang, Katara, and Zuko freed themselves from the sand with blasts, whips, and blows, then started charging after the professor.

"_Not so fast!_" laughed the professor, and he pushed all of them back with a wave of sand. With another wave, Professor Yu Shik pulled Zuko forward and grabbed both his arms, immobilizing him. Zuko struggled, but the professor was delusional now and that strengthened him and his grip.

"_ZUKO!_" All three shouted.

"_Go! Demonstrate on this boy!_" shouted the professor. "_Demonstrate or I shall end him!_"

Aang stepped forward. "But I don't know—"

"_WRONG ANSWER!!_"

Professor Yu Shik forced Zuko's mouth open and held onto his lower jaw with one hand. With his other hand, the professor began streaming in sand into his mouth. The professor forced the sand down his throat, clogging it. Zuko was beginning to suffocate. The sand began to overflow from his mouth.

"_Demonstrate to save this boy!_" shouted the professor.

Aang sent a wild burst of air towards them and knocked both the professor and Zuko to the ground. Zuko was free and he started choking, forcing the sand back out. He reached for his neck, feeling the solid inside. For a second, Zuko could not breathe. His vision began to blur.

But Zuko used his Breath of Fire.

Zuko took in a huge gasp of air—and collapsed.

Professor Yu Shik stood up. "_Why must you do this? All I want is a simple demonstration!_"

Suddenly, there was a tapping on the metal door.

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o0o

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"_Who is it…?_" asked Professor Yu Shik from inside.

"_Toph…_"

"_Who's Toph?_"

Suddenly, the metal door began to crush and fold as if collapsing under its own weight. The metal door crumpled into an obscure shape and fell apart completely. The professor saw the oddest and most unscientific thing in his life. There was this little girl with a cast made of ice on her leg. She was holding onto two of the professor's Buzzard-Wasps for support. One of those Buzzard-Wasps was the queen (which was still alive). And behind this was the rest of the swarm, all looking angry and hungry.

Toph waved at the professor. "Hi. I'm Toph. You seem to be hurting my friends and these nice Buzzard-Wasps brought me here. I think they're angry at you."

.

o0o

.

Professor Yu Shik was shaking, not by the Buzzard-Wasp or the child, but by what the child had done to his metal door. "_I can tell by your firmness, you're sarcasm, your clothing, and your face that you're an Earthbender! But that door—it is made of METAL! No Earthbender can bend metal! That would involve some sort of __**pure**__ form of Earthbending! But that's impossible! That's—!_"

And Toph threw the metal door at the professor, trapping the man underneath.

After a moment of silence, Sokka walked up to the professor and whispered: "_That's called Metalbending… It **purely** hurt you to the **extreme**…_"

.

o0o

.

Katara was looking at the professor's helper with a threatening stare.

"Give us your medicine!"

The helper was more than happy to oblige. But Sokka called on the helper before he went.

"Does the professor have a boat?" asked Sokka.

"He has a large catamaran in the back," offered the helper shakily.

Sokka smiled. "Will he mind if we borrow it?"

.

.

.

**Northern Sea, ****the Sandbar, Beach (early morning)**

Everyone was getting ready to leave and the gang had moved Appa onto the large deck of the catamaran. Katara had already given the medicine and Appa was already feeling better. Some minor scratches and bruises were on his skin, but Katara fixed it up before it could leave and long or lasting damage.

Katara patted Appa on the head. "Are you feeling any better?"

Appa moaned happily. Momo jumped on his head.

Katara smiled. "I'll take that as a yes."

Zuko stepped onboard the deck of the ship. He was still rubbing his throat. The sand tasted bitter and awful and it had taken a couple of washes before he could feel his tongue in his mouth.

Aang saw him coming. "Does it still hurt?"

Zuko shook his head. "No, but I have a feeling that my next meal would taste like sand."

As they prepared to cast off, Sokka noticed that Toph wasn't onboard yet. She was still talking to a friend. "_Toph!_" he called. "We're casting off!"

"_Just wait!_" she called out.

Toph turned back to her new friend. "Now you watch over that crazy professor, okay? He's crazy but that doesn't mean he can boss you around like that."

The queen Buzzard-Wasp buzzed.

Toph hugged the creature and rested her head on its beak. "_And no more eating people_ okay? If I hear that some poor unlucky soul got bitten by you, I could just shove the sand right back into your mouth. I was just merciful the last time, but _next_ time, I won't take it out. Do you understand?"

The queen nodded dutifully.

"_Good_," said Toph. And she hugged again.

"_Toph!_"

"_Coming!_" she cried back.

.

o0o

.

Sokka had his hands on his hips and he had the expression of a father on his face. When Toph hobbled across the gangplank to the catamaran's deck, Sokka was ready to give her a scolding. "We have to cast off _now_! Azula could be master of _all_ elements! We have to go, go, go, go, and GO!"

"Hey, Sokka!" Toph called as she came on deck.

"What?" Sokka berated.

"Come here. I have to whisper something to you."

Sokka leaned down and continued talking. "If this is going to take another hour, then might as well forget it! We cast off now and I mean—!"

Toph quickly kissed him on the cheek. When she was done, she started hobbling away again.

Sokka was dumbfounded. For a moment, he didn't believe what just happened. When the moment had passed, Sokka finally shook his head and placed himself back in the normal world.

He turned to Toph, flabbergasted. "_What was that?_"

Toph turned back to Sokka and smiled. "_That_ was a _one-time_ deal _only_. That's for saving me when I drowned last night. You're getting none of _that_ anymore, understand?"

Sokka nodded firmly. "Yes, ma'am."

Toph smiled. "Good."

.

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_This story ended a lot longer than I expected. It's even longer than my chapter 11! I didn't know it would be this long when I wrote it down. I thought of cutting a lot of things short here, but I knew that I couldn't place in a chapter without a complete idea._

_Thanks to all who reviewed._

_No other things to say._


	16. Chapter 16: Shifting Tides

It continues...

_Author's Note: __I was able to create this story with some ideas I had thought of when I was thinking about the Avatar universe. There were some scenes that I wished would come out and I've decided to add it here. Hope this is good and hope you enjoy the read. I just hope I can hand out the goods. The hiatus was cut short as I decided on the next nine chapters, but still, things would go quite slow. Updates will be posted whenever I can post or whenever I finish my story. Now, let's begin with the other half of Book Air._

_Disclaimer: I own no part of Avatar, the Last Airbender. But this story and this plot is entirely of my own creation. Any similarities to the official Avatar plotline are mere coincidences or are used for necessary events in the story. The same goes with the characters and settings._

Book 4

_Air_

Chapter sixteen:

Shifting Tides

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**North Pole, ****Northern Water Tribe, hundred feet up, top of the waterfall (A week ago)**

"_The Northern Water Tribe_," spoke Zhao as he looked down on the city. "_The site of my greatest defeat…_"

"And your apparent death," continued Azula as they looked down. "But it is a beautiful city. It's a place fit for their kind. They're so isolated from the rest of the world that their entire culture has been preserved in the very ice they live in."

The two had just arrived on the North Pole, choosing to take a path through the frozen wilderness so their little airship couldn't be spotted by prying eyes. Azula didn't look so protected from the harsh elements, but Azula seemed to manage and keep a rigid posture. She was using internal heat to keep her warm.

"_And it is a truly cold place_," said Zhao. "_The freezing air slows down any Firebender. The only reason we made it all the way through to the very end of the city during the siege was because of numbers and vehicles. Firebending is difficult here, especially at night. Our forces had to pull back during the nights._"

Azula said nothing.

Zhao looked over the edge of the very high cliff. "_Aren't we going down?_"

Azula looked over her clothes. "I will not blend in."

Zhao smiled. "_I doubt anyone will teach you Waterbending in that armor. Many people still hold a grudge against the Fire Nation._" And then, on another thought, "_Who is this Waterbending teacher you are looking for anyway? How will you know where to find her?_"

Azula started climbing down the ice cliff. "I know of a man. He knows a lot of things. I will find him here if my memory serves me correctly. He will tell me where to find my teacher."

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**North Pole, Northern Water Tribe, Tribal Hall (****A week ago)**

Hama had many concerns to discuss with the Tribal Council. The old woman had been used to the freedom and the pleasures given to the women in the Southern Water Tribe. Even her time in the Fire Nation, she had such freedoms. But the Northern Water Tribe was getting into her affairs too much. Some who passed by her home would notice her using her Waterbending when making soup and the Waterbender boys would often come by and insult her for it. But the one that would really irritate her was when her daily Waterbending practices would catch the eyes of the officials. They would ask her politely to stop.

So Hama was going to settle things with the tribal council.

_There's one of those tribal council people now…_ Hama thought as she saw the Water Tribe insignia on the shoulder of a girl's fur coat. _Nora is her name… I have seen her walk by here a dozen times… I should present her my problems…_

But then, Hama saw a hand grab the girl from the shadows of another chamber and pull her in.

She was gone.

_Someone has kidnapped her!_

Hama was running faster. She had to catch the kidnapper. A horrible worried expression was on her face as she ran, her hand reaching out, as if ready to pull the girl out of the shadowed chamber. She lightened her footsteps so the kidnapper would not hear. But as soon as she came by the wall of the chamber, she saw the two kidnappers who were hiding in the shadows. She recognizes their armor.

_Fire Nation!_

And then, Hama sees the face of the smaller kidnapper, the girl.

_She is a Royal of the Fire Nation lineage…_

So, instead of barging into the situation, Hama leaned on the other side of the wall. Something big was happening here and if the Fire Nation was involved, it could only mean bad news. She had to find out what they were up to…

Hama hid by the chamber corner, away from sight but close enough to listen to their conversation. There was a man here with an odd voice. And the Fire Nation royal was speaking too.

"_I'm not sure I can trust you…_" spoke the Fire Nation girl.

"_I…I…I'm telling you the truth…_" stuttered Nora, the Water Tribe council girl. "_The prison is beneath us…at the very lower chamber of the Tribal Hall… But I don't think you'll be able to go inside… There are guards…_"

"_I will take care of the guards…_" said the girl.

Hama could hear Nora quiver. "_What will you do with me…?_"

The man spoke. "_Now we can't have you running around talking about us, now can we? And my friend here awfully needs some clothes…_"

Then, there was a muffled screaming—one that almost made Hama run in and strike the kidnappers. But she knew now was not the time. There was still more to listen to—more to find out.

"_Hide her somewhere where no one will find her…_" spoke the Fire Nation girl. It seemed to Hama that she was the one in charge.

"_She won't be unconscious until the full moon, you know. She will wake up. Your whole plan would be ruined by then._"

"_Then find a room and lock her in. Tie her up and leave her there until we can come back later to rid ourselves of her… She will not interfere with our plans of the full moon._"

"_So you think you can find a Waterbending master and master Waterbending before the full moon, huh?_"

"_Yes. Unlike that boy who had the Avatar Spirit last and was entirely short-minded and a person who seemed easily distracted, I am sharp. I master things quickly, Zhao. I will master Waterbending before the full moon._"

"_And the Waterbending master?_"

"_Do not worry about that. I know of this particular one. The man I will ask knows all about her. She was first reported in the Fire Nation and she is said to manipulate people on the full moon._"

Hama's eyes widened.

There was a plot going on here and somehow, she had unwillingly joined it. It was a plot that involved some great treason with a Fire Nation girl, a man, a full moon, learning Waterbending, the Avatar, and herself.

_I must not fall into their plan._

But Hama's mind was thinking ahead.

_But if I say no to them, they will kill me… And I know these type__s of people… Once they find an accomplice that is useless, they will kill him or her… I am dead either which way even if I decide to teach…_

So, Hama hoped that when these people would get to her, she would have found some way to do something about it and not get herself killed.

But if the girl would somehow convince her to teach Waterbending, then that meant she had failed. That meant she was dead no matter what she did.

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**North Pole, Northern Water Tribe, Residential Area**** (present day)**

"_Did you see that girl?_"

"_Everyone's talking about her…_"

"_She's so pretty…_"

"_I hear Sanghuk's going to see her later…_"

"_Good luck to him! Everybody's tried!_"

"_Who is she anyway? I've never seen her before?_"

There was talk going all over the area. There was a new girl in town with a sharp face, beautiful eyes, short hair, and fair skin. No one knows where she came from or how she got here. Some claim they know her name. Others claim they were lost lovers. But whatever the back story, no one really knew much about her. She was a mysterious girl who didn't seem to get out much or talk at all.

And the more they found out about the girl, the more she became mysterious. She was living with that old and strange woman who also didn't seem to talk much, didn't seem to go out. No one even knew if the old woman had children or grandchildren. The girl and the old woman were an odd pair in the city of the Northern Water Tribe.

But the oddest thing was the glowing.

It started happening the night after the girl appeared.

During late nights, some people would notice odd colors glowing beneath the ice that surrounded the old woman's ice house. The elders said that it was just the celestial lights reflecting on the ice.

The colors were a strange blue and dark red.

No one could really understand what was happening and no one seemed to bother asking.

Maybe it was connected to the number of boys who were suddenly losing their Waterbending in the middle of the night.

Maybe.

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o0o

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Azula was breaking things all over the Hama's house.

She couldn't believe that she was having fun for the _first_ _time_ in a long time. She had never danced in her life, but she knew this must have been what it was like to dance, to move the body gracefully—so gracefully that it was both beautiful and deadly. Azula was doing a deadly dance—a dance called Waterbending.

With slow arm flexes, Azula was able to manipulate a long and large water whip that thrashed throughout the whole room, breaking dozens of ceramic pots. Then, Azula moved faster, making the dance a little more rapid and violent. The water sloshed and sliced. The walls cracked with each smash of the water.

Azula's control over water was severe.

"_Very good, Azula…_" smiled Zhao as he appeared in the room. "_Nice reflexes. Hama taught you quickly and well…_"

Azula took that moment to bend low and place her hands down. The whip of water froze into a long shard of ice. She spun around with the grace of a performer, and turned to Zhao. She flung the weapon at him, aiming for the face.

Then, Azula stopped it in midair, a few inches from Zhao's right eye.

Zhao didn't flinch. He just continued smiling. "_Your control is excellent—highly commendable… Your aim is sharp—deadly._"

Azula's face was emotionless. With a twist of her fingers, the sharp piece of ice melted onto Zhao's feet. Slowly, she pulled her hands up her stomach and inhaled, finishing her exercise. Zhao clapped like an audience after a performance.

Azula transfixed one eye at Zhao. "Where is Hama?"

"_She's resting… But I feel she is sulking a lot more than resting…_"

"Let her rest," Azula said. "It is best that she does not interfere with the rest of our plans for now."

Zhao scoffed. "_Our? Lately, you have been assuming control. This new scheme of yours doesn't fit well with my own plans. The neighbors are starting to question. Pretty soon, they'll come with torches and they'll want you dead. Everyone's been noticing the glowing._"

Azula nodded. "By the time they come here with torches, we will already have won. And let them say what they want about the glowing. Rumor fuels uncertainty. Uncertainty breeds chaos."

Zhao turned around. "_It is more than that. I am starting to…fear… Your actions are frightening… Every night, you entice some poor soul and you…turn into some sort of life-sucking creature… And I am helping…_"

"Don't gain a conscience now, Zhao," Azula hardened as she closed her fingers into a grip. "Tonight, you, I, and Hama will gain control of the Northern Water Tribe—or crush it along the way."

Zhao started walking away. "_Don't fool yourself… Even I could not take the Northern Water Tribe in a siege. You may be an army of one, but you are only one. Hama is just an addition. All the Waterbending cannot help you take down their forces._"

Azula's lips curved at the edge, forming a dreadful smile. "I have found a way to purge the Avatar State."

Zhao stopped. "_Is this a joke?_"

"I cannot control it," Azula restated. "But I can force it upon my enemies. Tonight. I test my theories tonight."

Zhao sighed (or a mere imitation of a sigh). "_We shall see… Oh, and speaking of 'poor souls', one of them is at the doorway, looking stupid_."

Azula walked past Zhao, looking sweet. "That's good."

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o0o

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Sanghuk wasn't so sure about what he was doing anymore. He felt cheated in some way. The rest of the Water Tribe boys had given him a good sum of money to ask the mysterious girl to a date. Now, he wasn't so sure the sum of money was 'good'. He could have fought back and quit, after all, no one messed with a good enough Waterbender. But Sanghuk was no quitter. One way or another, he was going to ask the mysterious girl out. If she said no, then that wasn't his fault.

"Uh… Hi…"

Sanghuk turned around and began to blush. He was facing the cute girl with short hair and cheeks that were just as red as his. She had bright eyes but those eyes were staring at the snow on the ground.

"_Oh…_ Hi…" said Sanghuk and he unconsciously began to scratch the back of his neck.

"Hi…" she repeated. This time, it was a lot more softly said.

"_Hi…_"

There was a moment of unsteady silence as the two found interest in their feet. Sanghuk felt a tingle in his forehead and a tightening in the throat. If he was going to be a man, he should do it now. After all, money was on the line… And this girl was really pretty…

"My name is…uh…Sanghuk," said the boy. "I was wondering if…if—"

"Would you like to come inside?" asked the pretty girl slowly. Her voice was soft and petite.

"Oh! Yes. Yes. Thank you…" smiled Sanghuk. When the girl turned away, Sanghuk slapped a hard hand on his cheek. He was more pathetic than usual and he hated the fact that he couldn't form complete sentences around her. He hoped he wouldn't embarrass himself further or wet his pants—or both.

The girl welcomed Sanghuk into her home. Sanghuk was obliged to squat on a bear-skin rug and wait as she headed to get them some tea. Sanghuk had the annoying habit of thumb-tapping when he was uneasy and anxious.

The girl came back carrying a tray with two cups of tea. The smell was heavenly.

"My grandma makes great tea," she said softly, avoiding his gaze. "Here. Have some."

Sanghuk took it with two hands and began to sip. It was like silk for the body and it ran down his throat like a life-giving spring. It soothed his nerves and gave him some confidence for his next choice of words.

"Um… I love the tea…"

The girl just stared at her cup, but she was smiling. "Thank you…"

"I would _love _if you could bring some tea to the harbor later tonight. We could talk about…_stuff…_ The harbor gets pretty quiet at night and we could be alone talking. And it would be a beautiful night. We'd be alone with nothing but the snow, the sea, and the full moon."

The girl smiled at Sanghuk with her bright eyes. "A full moon…it sounds romantic…" she said. "Drink some more tea…"

Sanghuk smiled. And then, he turned back to the tea. "Oh! Yes. I forgot." And he drank.

"Did you finish it?" she asked kindly.

Sanghuk placed the cup back on the tray and smiled at her. "Yes."

"That's good," she said.

And the girl closed her eyes and leaned forward, puckering her lips.

Sanghuk silently thanked the spirits. He thought he was in heaven already. Such exquisite taste of tea. After some drowsy thoughts, Sanghuk leaned forward to kiss her. He thought he was closing his eyes because darkness was slipping into his vision and he thought he had kissed the girl because his mind just went dull, like the epiphany when lips contact each other.

But Sanghuk had gone unconscious and fell onto the floor.

Azula stood up and smiled deviously.

"_That's a new trick…_"

Azula looked up and noticed Zhao standing behind Sanghuk, leaning on the doorway. "What was, Zhao?"

"_Usually, when you entice these boys, you use a shallow attitude before you hand them the sleeping tea. But I've never seen you try to kiss someone. It's odd considering the fact that you're the cold and heartless type…_"

"He was talking too much, Zhao," said Azula. She turned to the unconscious Sanghuk and started dragging him across the floor and down to the basement. "I had to make him shut up and drink the tea."

When Azula finished dragging Sanghuk's lifeless body into the basement, she leaned him on the wall. She placed her hands on his forehead and chest, not being delicate about it.

Azula's eyes and mouth shined red.

Sanghuk's eyes and mouth opened and shined blue.

When it was over, Zhao stepped into the basement. "_Will I bring him back now?_"

"Wait till it gets a little dark and you can return him to some place," spoke Azula. "When he wakes up, he'll find himself lost and he'll think all that had happened had been a dream—just like the others."

There was one way to understand Azula's methods. For the last two nights, every after practice and Waterbending training, Azula would either sneak out and grab a Waterbender or some boy with Waterbending would walk up her doorstep and trick him to drink some of her own home-made tea. She would take their bending from them and leave the boys to wake up on their own.

Azula was growing more powerful with each boy.

Because before, one graceful push of the hand would only push a wave of water the height of her body. Now, one push of her hand would equal to moving a wave the size of the house.

And tonight was a full moon.

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**North Pole, Northern Water Tribe, New Harbor**** (late afternoon)**

Zuko was pulling the sleeves of his white snow suit through his arms. The frigid air was making them shiver all over and it was a terrible feeling to know that your saliva had just froze in your mouth. The snow suit fit snugly and it was arm again. A little Breath of Fire and Zuko would have his body temperature up again.

But the one who fared the worst in the cold air was Toph.

"_W-Wow…i-it's c-cold…_" she shivered, desperately rubbing her forearms. "_Y-You water p-people pick the w-worst places to l-live…_"

Katara smiled at the comment and draped three furry blankets over Toph. The girl clung to the warmth that was covering her, trying to stop her body from shaking. It was no good. Pretty soon, Toph would be sneezing all over the place.

Sokka and Katara were already wearing their fur coats, unaffected by the freezing temperatures. Aang's shawl kept him warm too. Appa and Momo would be left on deck to rest and sleep.

Aang was eager to get off the boat. "Come on!"

Before the group could step onto the docks, Sokka pointed to the ground. "Toph won't be able to feel the ground here. All the earth here has been either covered by either snow or ice. She just won't feel it. She won't have proper footing either." He turned to the shivering girl. "Toph, do you think you could fashion yourself some metal snow shoes or skis?"

"_I could t-try…_" she mumbled.

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o0o

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The five of them disembarked from the catamaran and onto the ice docks. Aang gave a sweep at the docks, checking all the various types of boats that were settled in the harbor. "I can't see any Earth Kingdom airship," spoke Aang. "Do you think we got it wrong and Azula didn't come here at all?"

"Azula's here alright!" said Sokka. "I can smell her!"

Katara began speaking in a spooky voice. "_Trust the nose, Sokka…_"

Behind them, Toph was waddling like a newborn child trying to stand on two legs. Her ski-shoes were smooth on ice so Aang had to direct her to walk on snow. But once in a while, she would just slip and slide and everyone would be watching.

"Where do we start looking?" asked Aang.

Zuko pointed to the townsfolk. "Surely someone here has seen a flying green airship come by. Maybe we can ask the people."

And so they did.

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o0o

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"Sure I'd seen a flying green thing come by!" said an old fisherman.

Sokka leaned forward. "Did it stop by here?"

"It sure did!" said the old man. "Landed right on my plate, too!"

Sokka backed up. "_Plate?_"

"Yup!" said the old man, his eyes filled with the story. "I finished it right up before the other kids could eat it with their big ol' mouths!"

Sokka raised a questioning brow. "Are you sure you're not mixing this thing with some sort of green leafy vegetable?"

The man looked around, turning to see if someone was listening. He then turned back to Sokka and widened his eyes.

"_Maybe…?_"

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o0o

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Zuko walked up to one of the village boys who were playing in the snow. They seemed old enough to give him straight answers. He tapped onto this one guy's shoulder. The guy turned around and saw Zuko.

"What do you want?" he asked brusquely.

"Have any of you guys seen a giant flying Earth Kingdom airship come by here, probably a few days ago?" Zuko asked. The question was very straightforward. Hopefully, so was the answer.

"Nice scar," said the boy.

Zuko decided to continue. "It should have come by here a few days ago, I think. Surely something that big couldn't be missed."

"How'd you get it?"

Zuko didn't understand. "_What?_"

"What-what?" said the boy.

"What are you talking about?"

"The scar."

"_What about it?_"

"How'd you get it?"

"_Why do you want to know?_"

"What?" said the boy.

"What-what?"

"The scar."

"What do you want to—"And Zuko caught himself. He furiously shouted to the skies. He turned around and walked away. "Never mind!" he scowled.

As he left, the boy shouted back: "_Nice scar!_"

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o0o

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Katara and Toph were walking together. Katara held onto Toph as they trotted down the market side of the harbor. Toph seemed out of place with all those blankets covering her like loose skin. One of the old women came forward to Katara and asked: "How much for that large blue penguin of yours? The one with the large head."

"What penguin?" asked Toph.

The old woman was surprised. "I'm sorry. I meant large _talking_ penguin."

"Toph's not for sale," said Katara firmly. And then, she added, "And she's not a penguin."

The woman turned away, sad. "Owww… Never mind."

"Wait!" Katara called back.

The woman turned around, the glee returned to her face. "You'll sell me back your penguin?"

"No. I was going to ask if you've seen a large flying green airship pass by the North Pole lately. Or have you heard of any news like that?"

The old woman shrugged. "Maybe? Maybe not?"

Katara scratched her head. "Which answer is the right one?"

The old woman shrugged again. "Both—I guess… But only sometimes—on some occasions. Try asking me tomorrow. I'll give you an answer and you can give me a penguin."

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o0o

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Aang walked up to two twin men who were sitting on a large block of ice. The twins had large foreheads and they seemed to stare at the sky all the time. If they stared at the skies during the time when an airship arrived, maybe they'll know where that said airship went.

"Hey!" shouted Aang to one of the twins. "Did any of you see an airship pass by?"

The twin Aang was talking to pointed to the other twin as he stared at the sky. "Ask my brother. He knows everything."

Aang turned to the other twin. "Did _you_ see an airship?"

The twin thumbed the other twin. "Ask him. He knows more than me."

Aang sighed. "Can't you guys just say no?"

"Can you be _quiet_?" said the first twin. "We're waiting for the red and blue glows."

"What?"

"Do you want to watch with us?" offered the second twin. "They're beautiful, you know. They're better than the celestial lights."

Then, there was the beating of the drums.

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**North Pole, Northern Water Tribe, Tribal Hall (evening)**

Chief Arnook never felt so trapped in his entire life. He never felt so close to death than ever before. Never did it happen that such cold hands would grasp around his neck and strangle the life out of him. And all of this coming from a small girl and her accomplice.

But not just any girl.

This was the Fire Lord's daughter.

It had happened so fast that he did not understand how it had happened in the first place.

The moment he stepped into the tribal hall, there was this unnerving quiet. Though the patriarchs were still talking about the constant problems happening all over the city, it was all reduced to a whisper. That was the beginning of things to come. It was a foreshadowing.

The next thing that should have told him not to proceed to his room was the moon.

For many months, Chief Arnook would stare into the heavens, longing for his daughter. Sometimes, his daughter appeared brighter than most, completely forcing nearby stars to wink out of existence. At sadder times, his daughter would glow steadily and soft. The light was barely beautiful or bright. And when the moon was hidden among dark clouds, the chieftain could tell that hard times were coming.

But when Chief Arnook stared into the sky, there was barely a cloud in sight—only the moon, only Yue.

Yue looked so isolated—so alone.

A chill ran up Chief Arnook's spine.

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o0o

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Chief Arnook stepped onto the highest level of the structure. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being followed. Around every corner, there was always a fleeting shadow, a creak, a footstep, a whisper, or a hand. Chief Arnook saw these things and more.

The breeze was also colder than usual and that was not a good sign.

Chief Arnook pulled his curtain to the side and stepped in.

Only the tribal guardsmen were there, standing watch in case some fool would try to assassinate the chieftain. This particular guardsman was staring out the windowpane, seemingly watching the moon.

"It is a beautiful moon, is it not?" asked Chief Arnook.

The guardsman turned around. "Yes. It is."

It was Azula.

Chief Arnook was not surprised. "How did you get past the guards at the lower floors? Where were they anyway?"

"I have a friend who can slip in without anyone noticing," she smirked. "And he's behind you right now."

Chief Arnook turned his head around and saw the big burly man with Fire Nation armor. This was another surprise. "I remember you. You were the one who led the siege last winter. They said you were gone." Chief Arnook turned back to Azula. "Why are you people here? Can't you people face facts? Can't you just accept that the war is over and the world is beginning to heal?"

Zhao moved beside Azula and turned to Chief Arnook. "_We are not here to start war, chieftain. My friend here would like to make a statement. This is a statement that everyone has to listen._"

"And what if no one will trust your words?" asked Chief Arnook.

"Oh, they will," said Azula. "They will find my message very _interesting_."

"And what happens if they refuse to listen?"

Azula grabbed the man's neck and pierced her sharp nails into the man's skin. "_Then I will make them listen_."

For a minute, Azula held onto that the man's neck for as long as she could, but after a time of staring, Azula released the grip. Chief Arnook grasped his neck, feeling for any punctures. He looked up and stared at Azula, who was staring down at him. She then pointed to the doorway.

"Call your men. Tell them there are assassins in your room. Tell them to come for me."

Chief Arnook stared at Azula's feet. "What makes you think I'll go? What makes you think I'll endanger the lives of others?"

"Then they will still come. But this time, they will come for your body. They will come because someone has been murdered and the body belongs to the chieftain. They will _still_ come. So, if I were you, I'd choose the part where you live."

.

o0o

.

And the drums began to play.

_**BOM! BOM! BOM! BOM!**_

The group had gathered with the dozen other city dwellers. They were all rushing towards the Tribal Hall at the very center of the city. There were a lot of gasps among the crowd. A few of the others were trying to go forward and see what had caused the commotion, but it was quickly realized that some warriors and benders were in front. They were pushing the people back.

Sokka turned to Aang, who was hanging on a side post to one of the ice buildings. "What do you see?"

"They're pushing everyone back," spoke Aang. "There are warriors in front and they're pushing people back. They won't allow anyone to enter the Tribal Hall."

"What's wrong with the Tribal Hall?" asked Katara.

Aang turned back to look. He narrowed his vision on the large building and saw three people coming out of the main entrance. A burning anger flared within him. "I can see the chieftain being held captive. There are two people holding him hostage."

Zuko looked at Aang. "Two?"

Aang turned back to Zuko. "I'll give you two guesses."

.

o0o

.

"_Move them back! Back!_" ordered Chief Arnook. "The civilians must not get hurt!"

The warriors and Waterbenders did their best to hold back the wave of civilians that were trying to get through and save the captive chieftain. And it wasn't just the civilians. The guarding Waterbenders and warriors were also trying to fight back. But no one would question the chieftain when the order was sent.

"Can you see their anger and rebelliousness?" said Azula to Chief Arnook. "They want to fight. It's human nature. We live to challenge the peacefulness of things."

Suddenly, a surge of people broke through the defending warriors and came rushing to the chieftain's aid. There were dozens of them while Azula and Zhao were only two. But that's what everybody thought. There was a third person hiding beneath the ice.

Hama jumped out of the snow.

Everyone was stunned by the sudden predicament. The surging people stopped dead in their tracks.

.

o0o

.

Katara was one of those among the surging people. She had seen the old woman rising out of the ground and she too was shocked. But that shock was easily replaced by anger and hatred. She recognized her easily despite the blue fur coat.

"_Hama…_" Katara hissed. Her voice dripped poison.

Hama then forced a flat palm forward and an escalating torrent of snow rushed towards the oncoming people. It pushed the crowd back a few good meters and immediately squelched anyone's desire to fight back again.

All except Katara.

She was still there, still standing in front—unaffected by the snow.

.

o0o

.

"_I said hold everyone back!_" shouted Chief Arnook. "_The civilians cannot be harmed! Get that girl in the front line!_"

Zhao's ears perked at the sound of "girl". He looked at the crowd and saw past the dozens of unknown faces. He then saw the girl. He saw Katara in the front row. He looked to Azula. "_The Waterbender's here. That means the others aren't far behind._"

Azula nodded with a hint of confidence. "They're not far behind at all. The Airbender is on his way here. My plan had worked after all." And it was true. The bald boy with the tattooed arrows was flying on his glider, moving ahead of the gathering crowd.

"_I hope you're ready._"

Azula looked at the moon above her. Its light gave her strength.

"I am more than ready."

.

o0o

.

Aang landed with a spin of his staff, allowing him to land a lot more softly. The snow stirred beneath his feet. When he touched the ground, he stood erect, pointing his staff to Azula and Zhao. Everyone watched the scene from afar. The scene was happening on the highest steps of the Tribal Hall. It looked like a small boy against some deadly assassins.

"Let Chief Arnook go!" Aang shouted.

Azula smiled and turned to Zhao. "You heard what he said. Let the man go."

And Zhao released Chief Arnook. The chieftain was surprised as he stumbled to his knees. Zhao looked him in the eye. "_Leave now!_"

Chief Arnook couldn't believe his luck. "You're letting me go?"

"_Need I say it twice?_"

The chieftain scrambled to his feet. And as he ran down the steps to join the crowd, he couldn't help but think that he was just some form of tool to attract the boy's attention. If that was the case, then their plan had worked after all and this fight was far from over.

.

o0o

.

"What are you doing, Azula?" Aang asked—his face in a scowl.

"I'm getting attention," she said.

"Well, you already have what you want. You have your attention. Everyone's watching. What's comes next?"

"I'm glad you asked."

And Azula opened her right palm, made a pushing motion that was so slow, it didn't seem much. The snow on the ground lifted up into a giant white wave that stood motionless at the height of the Tribal Hall itself. The watching crowd held their breath. The snow just seemed to be suspended in the air under the power of one girl. Aang just stood there, facing the wall of snow that had raised itself so high off the ground.

Azula then forced all that snow to come crashing back to the ground.

The first thing that hit Aang was not the snow, but the rushing air that came from it when the snow crashed right over him. Aang defended himself, forcing air upwards to counteract the falling snow. The blasting air punched a hole right through the falling mass and Aang was able to survive the crushing wave.

But there was still too much snow.

A flowing wake of snow moved across Aang's feet and the boy did not have time to root his footing. He was immediately swept away. The forces of both the snow above him and the snow below him nearly forced him to sink into unconsciousness. When the snow had finally stopped moving, Aang was seen, lying face-up with snow all over his body.

.

o0o

.

Katara saw the attack of Azula and realized that their adversary had gained another weapon on her arsenal. Her first impulse was to help Aang. She began to run across the snow and up the stairs. She almost made it midway when a large water whip smashed the ice in front of her feet.

"Stay back, Katara!" Hama warned.

Katara wouldn't stop now. Her drive to help a friend kept her going, kept her moving. She faced Hama squarely and prepared to fight back. "Get out of my way, Hama!"

"Go back to your friends, Katara!" Hama shouted. "I _will_ hurt you!"

Katara Waterbended a large water whip around her arms. "Let me see you _try!_"

Hama Waterbended a pool of water between her hands and shot it at Katara, freezing it into three sharp ice shards. Katara stepped forward and batted the spikes to the ground with one wipe of her hand.

Hama tried again, this time, more violent. She chose to force three pressurized pillars of water right at Katara. But the girl whipped them back and the columns smashed right back on the old woman.

Hama was soaked in cold water. Her frail body was constantly trying to get up from the ground.

"_You despicable old woman!_" Katara spat. "_You taught Azula Waterbending! You chose to help her! She needed a Waterbending master and you gave it to her! And you, a hater of the Fire Nation! You hypocrite! Now, you're helping them! I never expected this from you! You don't deserve to live!_"

These were not things a child should say to an old woman.

Hama was still heaving, trying to take air into her mouth. Her clothes were heavy as they were drenched in water. But she was not out of the fight yet. "Stay back, Katara! Stay _back_!"

And that was when Hama Waterbended the ice that was just in front of Katara's feet. The water moved too quickly for Katara to respond. It wrapped around both of Katara's hands and bound them together.

Katara could not Waterbend.

"Stay _back_, Katara!"

And Hama forced Katara back amongst the crowd with a large wave.

.

o0o

.

Aang was purely on the defense. With his staff, he forced arcs of air that smacked against Azula's small waves of snow. They kept coming and Aang couldn't stop it just yet. When the waves were gone, Azula switched to using pressurized columns of water that shot out of the ground like geysers, but with tremendous amounts of force.

One of these pressurized bursts of water blasted Aang into the air and high above the icy ground. He landed with impact and finally went on the offensive, forcing a tremendous arc of air right at Azula.

Azula diverted the air around her by melting and refreezing a circular shield of ice that sent the air around her.

"You cannot defeat me this time!" shouted Azula. "My bending is more powerful than yours! I have harnessed dozens of energy and it is a full moon! No Airbending can force me _down_!"

Hama charged in and forced a huge snake-like water form that screwed right onto Azula's path. This was obviously an attack. Hama was attacking Azula.

Azula redirected the water around her and back at Hama. The force of redirection would have launched Hama high into the air.

Hama turned all that water into harmless snow crystals in one puff.

Azula smiled. "You? Betraying me? Why am I not surprised?"

Hama remained as silent as ever. She sent three water whips towards Azula, but again, Azula forced them to the ground. "Stop fooling around with me, woman. I have gathered more than enough energy to fuel my bending and make them far more superior than yours! You were just so _stupid_! If you wanted to stop me, you shouldn't have taught me in the _first place_!"

Hama tamed another whip of water. "But you would have killed me if I didn't teach you," she said softly.

Azula laughed. "_Of course!_"

And Hama sent another whip of water.

.

o0o

.

Aang seemed disconnected from the fight scene, as if Hama's presence suddenly forced him to stop fighting. As he watched the fight, Aang' couldn't help but wonder why Hama didn't seem to aim for any of Azula's vital points like the head or the chest.

Hama seemed to be taking her time.

Aang had a feeling that Hama was doing some sort of trick to distract everyone.

.

o0o

.

Zuko helped Katara back to her feet and melted the ice bonds on her hands. As he did so, Katara kept spitting insults from her mouth. "_That old woman will pay for doing this! She should have stayed in prison! Who in their right mind would free her from prison?!_"

And then, she turned to Zuko and said: "Where's Sokka and Toph?"

"Toph's in no shape to fight," said Zuko. "Sokka is keeping her company."

"Then finish melting the ice so I can get up and smack that woman!"

Zuko looked up. "That old woman is not as traitorous as it seems."

Katara saw the fight scene all the way from below. For a moment, she thought Hama was actually doing something good. But then, she saw that Hama was not aiming to kill Azula at all. This was nothing more than smoke and mirrors. Hama was just distracting everyone.

"_Don't be fooled_, Zuko," hissed Katara. "It's just an act."

Zuko helped her climb up the stairs. "Then let's stop it before everything gets out of our hands."

.

o0o

.

Toph pulled on Sokka sleeve and wiped a finger to her nose. "_What's happening?_"

"It's Azula," said Sokka. "And she's got Waterbending pegged."

Toph crossed her arms. "Figures…"

"And there's Hama too. Do you remember her?"

"You mean the old lady who took people during full moons and trap them?" asked Toph. "I seem to recall. I'm also guessing that she was the one who taught Azula Waterbending."

Sokka nodded. "Yup."

"And she's fighting against Katara, Aang, and Zuko," Toph assumed.

Sokka scratched his head. "_Well…_"

Toph sighed and sniffed. "Don't '_well_' me, Sokka. Give me a straight answer. I hate it when you keep putting on the suspense."

"Well, it started that way," said Sokka. "But now, she's fighting Azula."

Toph shook her head. "Now _that's_ stupid. If Hama was going to betray her, why give Azula Waterbending anyway?"

Sokka shrugged. "Beats me."

Suddenly, as Toph held onto Sokka's arm for support, she felt an odd tensing sensation on his arm. _Sokka just saw something important…_ It was stimuli that says the body should react to odd things and Sokka had somehow seen something that made him tense up.

"What did you see?" asked Toph.

"_Well…_"

Toph jiggled Sokka's arm. "Answer me straight! _What—did—you—see?_"

"It was Hama," said Sokka, but this time, his voice was hollow and detached. Sokka was spooked and Toph could tell.

"What's with Hama?"

"She and Azula were fighting and then—"

"_WHAT?_"

"Azula struck her down…"

.

o0o

.

Katara and Zuko stopped dead in their tracks. They had both seen what had happened. Hama had taken a turn, choosing to fling some shards of ice against Azula. But the Fire princess melted them as they came for her. The ice switched into water and Azula redirected it back—around her waist and back at Hama. The old woman was beaten. Katara's attacks had weakened her and Hama was not in any good condition to fight.

Azula formed the water back into spikes.

One of those spikes struck Hama on the shoulder.

Katara didn't gasp or cry. All she could think of was: _this was never an act…_

Even from afar, Katara and Zuko could see Azula as she stepped closer to Hama. "You know what they say, Hama… Whenever you're giving an enemy your knife, never sharpen the blade…"

.

o0o

.

Zuko charged in. "_Get away from her!_"

And Zuko punched a fireball.

It was a horribly weak fireball.

The fire reached Azula, but only the fur coat was damaged. Azula laughed at Zuko's attempt. "It's a cold night, Zuko. Your Firebending is weak in the cold… But not my Waterbending—and not during the _full moon_."

And Azula whipped another stream of water that knocked Zuko to the side. Zuko was surprised by the amazing force that knocked into him from the gut, quickly pushing any air out of his lungs in a "whoosh". When Zuko landed back on the ice, Aang was by his side, helping him up.

Azula was in front of them. "Another Agni Kai, Zu-zu? Even with your friend, you will not win this fight. Your fire is weakened and air is defensive. Tonight, water trumps everything!"

And high above, the full moon watched, disdained.

.

o0o

.

_Azula is not the only one with Waterbending here…_

Katara rushed up the icy steps, making her way to Zuko and Aang. She was about to rush to their side when something grabbed her ankle. She stopped and looked at Hama, who was lying peacefully on the ground. The ice spike on her shoulder didn't seem to make Hama bleed, but Katara knew that Hama had only moments to live unless someone healed her.

Hama's eyes pleaded with Katara.

Katara hissed. "_I refuse to heal you._"

Katara tried brushing off the hand on her ankle, but Hama's grip was strong and determined. She wasn't clinging onto life. She was clinging onto Katara.

"_I'm so sorry, Katara…_" she gasped.

Katara's anger against the woman was beyond words. Her eyebrows overlapped her eyes and her teeth and fists were clenched. "_Sorry? Sorry! That is all you have to say? What you have done here tonight is more monstrous than anything Azula could have ever done!_"

Hama winced. "_Azula…_"

"Yes!" Katara shouted. "I always thought you hated the Fire Nation! But look at you! You're a joke, Hama! _A joke!_"

Hama pleaded with Katara, tightening her grip on Katara's ankle. "_But she would have killed me…_"

This enraged Katara all the more. "_Killed you?_ You are a coward, Hama! A coward!"

Tears were flowing down Hama's eyes. "_No… No… You have to understand… I taught her Waterbending to delay my death…_"

"Then you are selfish!" Katara screamed. "You are selfish because even if you _knew_ Azula would kill you, you chose to live a little longer—to place yourself before others and put them in harm's way! _You're a coward and a selfish woman!_"

Hama was crying angrily now, forcing the words out. "_Listen to me, Katara! I knew all along that Azula was the Avatar! I knew! I found out that she was looking for me! I knew her plans to attack during the full moon! I knew! I KNEW!_"

Katara had tears and anger mixed now. "_THEN WHY, HAMA? WHY? WHY TEACH HER WATERBENDING IF YOU KNEW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN?_"

Hama's anger disappeared to be replaced with a contented smile. "_I had to plant in a weakness…_"

Katara's anger suddenly disappeared.

"_I knew all her plans—the full moon, my death, my involvement in her teachings—everything…_" said Hama, spitting out the information because she had only moments left to live."_I knew she was the Avatar… That meant that no one could stop her if she mastered all the four elements… So I had to place in a weakness in her plan…_"

Katara couldn't grasp the idea. "A _weakness…?_"

"_Yes…_" Hama gasped. "_When I realized that I couldn't kill her if I directly attacked her, I then had to figure out a way to destroy her from her own plans. The full moon was the key… She had planned to attack on the full moon because of the power it gave to Waterbending…_

"_So I seeded in her weakness… I taught her Waterbending so she would be confident enough to trust it for tonight's attack. It all fell on the full moon. Because, on nights like this, Firebending is especially weak and I've seen her Airbending—nothing much to talk about there… But her newfound Waterbending and her sucking of energies has made her dependant on the art. She has no choice but to Waterbend tonight… She has no other choice…_"

Katara still didn't understand. "_And how is that a weakness…?_"

Hama smiled. "_Think, Katara… Azula is a Firebender… Firebending is the opposite art to Waterbending… Azula will be at some form of discomfort in her attacks as she is not yet used to the bending art… And unlike Firebending which heavily uses the entire body to attack, Waterbending uses only the—_"

"Hands…" Katara realized. "Waterbending is isolated on the hands…"

Hama coughed and smiled. "_Exactly… She has gained Waterbending, therefore, she has gained all its weaknesses…_"

Katara pieced things together. "Earlier… When you were attacking Azula, you didn't aim to kill her… You were aiming for the hands—to stop her from Waterbending…"

Hama's face became deathly serious. "_Yes… But then you interfered… You weakened me… None of you people were ever supposed to be in any danger…but now, you are the only one left who can bind her hands… If Azula manages to stay away from capture after tonight, I fear that my efforts will be in vain… And her Waterbending will be because of me…_"

Hama wheezed. "_I can no longer fight, so you have to take her out…_"

Katara was breathing faster and she looked at Azula, who was locked in combat—and was winning against Zuko and Aang. She turned back to Hama and asked. "Did you… teach her Bloodbending…?"

Hama smiled. "_Whenever you're giving an enemy your knife…never sharpen the blade…_"

Hama released her grip on Katara's ankle and placed all her strength to her right arm. She placed it in her pocket and pulled out the last memento she could ever give.

It was her comb.

Hama placed it by Katara's feet. "_Here… A little memory for you…_"

Her final words were: "_I am so, so sorry… I cannot die the villain, Katara… I am no monster… no monster…I… I'm coming home at last… at long last… Can you… forgive me…?_"

And Hama closed her eyes. Her lips formed into a peaceful smile.

.

o0o

.

Katara kneeled on the ground, suddenly feeling sorry and guilty. Her tears wet the snow on the ice. She had never been so wrong in her entire life. And she had been wrong to the person she had hated for a long, long time.

Suddenly, an idea came rushing back.

_Heal her!_

Katara's hands glowed with healing water and she reached over Hama. She felt for every possible way to bring her back to life, to say sorry to her one last time. Katara didn't even forgive her. No one should die without being forgiven. Not Hama. She didn't deserve to die the way Katara said she should.

But Hama was beyond healing. She was gone.

Katara stood up, holding the comb in her hands. She looked at the moon and righteous anger flooded all over her as she turned to Azula. The ice around her steamed into the air.

_Hama will not die in vain__._

.

o0o

.

"She's too powerful!" Aang exclaimed. "My Airbending is always blown to the side!"

"It's too cold…" said Zuko. "My Firebending is weak…"

Azula just laughed crazily into the night. The moon cried, as if guilty it had given Azula all her power. Azula sent surges of water and circulating whips that knocked Zuko's fire away. Azula formed shields that deflected Aang's air around him. Azula seemed invisible.

That was when Azula slammed onto the Tribal Hall's ice wall. Azula's body lifted off the ground by some unseen force and slammed onto the side of the building. Her face was buried in the snow. She could not even yelp in surprise.

Katara stepped forward with a hand raised. She walked slowly but with power.

Azula turned her head to the side to see Katara. "_What's going on…? How are you doing this?_"

Katara moved her hand to the right. Azula jumped into the air and slammed her back onto the ice.

Katara breathed slowly, her anger flaring in her eyes. "_For so long, you have manipulated everyone!_"

And Azula cried as she slammed onto the opposite ground.

"_For so long, you have manipulated your friends!_"

Azula slammed onto the wall.

"_You have manipulated your family!!_"

Azula slammed face-first into the ice.

"_You have manipulated your enemies!_"

Azula floated high in the air. She was softly crying for help, aware that no one would come to her side—no one would save her. Katara was bending the will out of her own body. She didn't have the time or the effort to understand how this was happening. She was the puppet, the doll that was being thrown around.

"_YOU HAVE MAINPULATED ME!_"

Katara forced Azula back onto the ground, snapping some of her bones.

Katara lifted her up and placed her by the wall, pushing her face deep within the choking snow. Katara was burning with anger and hatred.

"_But now… Now, not even your own __**body**__ wants to follow you…_"

And Katara slammed Azula once again into the wall of the Tribal Hall. The building nearly collapsed under the force. Azula's cries for help were muffled by the breaking ice. When silence returned once again, Katara lowered her hands.

Katara was done.

.

o0o

.

The crowd that had been watching did nothing as the events before them unfolded. All their little pupils turned to wherever the action was happening. When the enemy moved this way, the crowd would look that way. It was almost comical. But when the fighting had come to a stop, everyone just stared where the last action had happened. There was not even a whisper from the crowd.

But Sokka was not affected by this silence. He walked up to one of the warriors and said: "_The girl is down! The chief is safe! What else are you waiting for? Attack them! Arrest them!_"

But Sokka knew that no one would follow orders from a mere boy. Some of the men seemed to be laughing.

Chief Arnook came to them. "You heard the boy? Go and arrest the girl."

The men were apprehensive, but they finally mustered up the courage to climb up the stairs to secure Azula. There would be no escape this time. Whether people knew it or not, the Avatar was captured at last.

.

o0o

.

"Can you feel it?" asked Aang. There was worry in his voice. "The ground is shaking."

Zuko felt a horrible feeling in his stomach. "I don't like the sound of that…"

No one could see Azula under all that ice and snow. But there was a shaking coming _from_ it. But their questions were finally answered only when the snow and ice started swirling round and round. It all began to spin and collect into a giant spout of spiraling water that stood high above everything.

Azula's head started to appear at the very top of the water spout. Her whole body came out next and she looked like she was sitting on a large tornado of water.

Her eyes were glowing.

Katara stepped back, aware of what she had done. "_I triggered her Avatar State…_"

Azula's head snapped downwards, glaring at Katara. Azula's mouth was formed into a nightmarish snarl.

Katara couldn't move.

"Katara!" shouted Aang. "Get out of the way!"

But Katara just stared into those glowing eyes.

Then, the comb in her pocket told her to wake up. Katara shook her head and realized she had a job to do. Immediately, Katara started to Bloodbend Azula, trying to force her down or prevent her from Waterbending. But Azula was not affected.

Katara could not Bloodbend Azula.

"_What's wrong, Katara?_? Shouted Zuko as the spinning spout of water became noisier and noisier.

"_Her bending's too powerful!_" Katara shouted back. "_I can't affect her!_"

"_Then get out of there!_" Aang shouted. "_Get out of there now—!_"

At that moment, Azula crashed all the way to the ground, forcing the build-up of spiraling water to spread outwards like a massive collision. The water forced anyone by the Tribal Hall to be whipped aside by the riptide. The Tribal Hall collapsed in a cloud of snow and cold water. The totem poles were obliterated. The stairs were reduced to nothing more than blocks of ice. The oncoming forces of warriors were immediately swept away by the tide of rushing water.

And Azula was still there, floating in an air sphere high above the icy ground.

.

o0o

.

As this new threat arose from the ice, more and more warriors rushed to the scene to defend the city and its inhabitants. They rushed from every corner of the city, brandishing spears and whale-tooth swords. But all of them were so far off, that Azula couldn't see their faces in the distance despite being so high.

But they were still coming.

They were all a threat to Azula.

Therefore, they were a threat to the Avatar.

And any threat to the Avatar had to be dealt with instantly.

With her left hand raised, Azula ran her energy and pushed it through her fingers. The icy buildings on the left side of the city melted in their places. Any warrior in that area immediately got trapped by the snow and water. With her right hand, Azula built a giant wave out of all that melted ice. It towered over the ice cove, staying in place for a few seconds.

Azula then released her grip and the wave crashed throughout the city.

The surge of water immediately blasted through the first line of ice buildings that lay to the right. Anyone still living in the area would have not seen the wave coming at such tremendous speed.

In mere seconds, the Northern Water Tribe was flattened.

.

o0o

.

The civilians that had come to see the commotion happening at the Tribal Hall were not affected by this wave. They were mere spectators to the destruction of their own city with no power to stop it.

Zhao appeared in front of them.

"_This is what happens,_" spoke Zhao, "_when you, who are against the Avatar, stand in her way!_"

Everyone turned to Zhao.

"_For years, the Avatar has been a symbol of peace, a symbol of hope! The Avatar has always been the decider of what was right and what was wrong. Now, you go against her with spears and swords, choosing to fight her and kill her—to kill the Avatar! Then you are enemies of peace—enemies of the nation! You say you have fought for peace and yet you challenge her—the peace keeper!_"

There was a turning of heads. Zhao's words seemed to penetrate.

"_Look at what you've done to yourselves!_" Zhao shouted as he pointed to the flattened city. "_This had been your own mistake—your own fault! By challenging the Avatar, you have doomed yourselves and made yourselves the enemy! Will you go against the Avatar again?—the one who won the war?_"

Then, there was a voice. "But wasn't it the _Airbender_ who won the war?"

Zhao smiled. The clincher. "_Then that is where you are mistaken! Here is a question for all of you to ponder: who won the war? The BOY? Or the AVATAR?_"

People began to murmur, to think as one instead as individual people. They could understand the question but the answer was not clear or defined. And because they thought as one big group, they were bound to pick the latter. It all depended on the question.

The boy.

Or the Avatar.

Zhao had made his point because _there was a difference_.

.

o0o

.

Azula started to come back to the ground. The air sphere dissipated and Azula's glowing eyes began to fade away. When she began to collapse, Zhao appeared and caught her. Her eyes opened and she asked, "_Did it work…? Did the Avatar State fight…?_"

Zhao smiled. "_More than I thought it would… By provoking your sense of self-preservation, your Avatar State fought against those that were a threat to you… I doubt that your brother and his friends are dead, but what we've accomplished is a great start…_"

Azula and Zhao started walking towards the remains of the Tribal Hall. The ice and snow were still, undisturbed. "Are you sure they're not dead? It looks like I killed them all…"

But Azula's hands suddenly came together. Two streams of water bound her hands together, freezing them in place.

Katara rose out of the snow.

Azula was freaking out. With wild eyes, she turned to the ice that bound her and began to Firebend through her mouth. The fire was weaker due to the cold, but soon enough, Azula would thaw right through it. Katara prevented that by placing more and more ice on her wrists until they were so heavy that Azula could barely lift them.

"It's over Azula," said Katara. "You are beaten."

Zhao appeared behind Katara. "_Not so, little Water Tribe girl—!_"

Zuko head-butt Zhao out of the way before he could lay a hand on Katara.

Zuko stared at Zhao. "It ends _now_!"

Zhao couldn't help but laugh. "_You haven't changed one bit, have you Zuko?_"

"I've changed more than you can imagine," Zuko said back. "I've changed more than you possibly know."

Zhao just smiled at Zuko. "_Is that so? But I believe you haven't changed at all. Here you are, a month after my death and you're still hunting for the Avatar. Isn't that what you're doing? Hunting the Avatar?_"

Zuko's resolve was breaking. "But this is different! Azula is—"

"_The Avatar_," finished Zhao. "_And you have been trying to stop the Avatar. Nothing has changed at all. In fact, I believe you are cursed, Zuko. You are cursed to hunt the Avatar for the rest of your life—however long that may be…_"

And Zhao reached forward to grab Zuko.

Aang jumped out of the snow and blasted Zhao away. "_IT'S OVER!!_"

With Zhao aside and Azula bound in ice, Katara, Zuko, and Aang stepped forward to reverse all the damage they had done.

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o0o

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"_LOOK!_" shouted one of the tribesmen. "_Those kids are attacking the Avatar!_"

That sudden uproar brought the rest into conclusion. Since the Avatar was being attacked, it was only right that they defend her. And with their spears, swords, and fists, the mob of people came rushing to stop the attacking children. The roles had reversed now. Azula was the Avatar. Aang and his friends were the enemy.

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o0o

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Azula looked at the oncoming mob. She turned back to Katara and shot her a smirk. "All is not over. I believe we will resolve our battle elsewhere and possibly soon. But now, you will be busy to defend your lives. You are the enemy now."

Zhao helped Azula up and the two started to run away.

Aang, Zuko, and Katara were ready to follow them when Azula used the moment's distraction to shatter a large chunk of the ice chunks—enough to Waterbend the surrounding water and snow into steam, covering their trails. Aang and Katara swept the cloud away but by the time they cleared the distraction, Azula and Zhao were gone.

And in their place, rushing behind them was the defending mob of Northern Water Tribe people.

But before the mob could reach them, a flying bison came down on that mob and swept them aside.

Sokka and Toph were in the saddle. "_Get in!_" they shouted in unison.

The three of them got on, but it was clear that the people would reach them before Appa could take off from the ground. The tribesmen would not want these people free when they were going to deal with them. They were going to throw them into the darkest pits of their icy prisons. They would have no chance for escape.

But help was on the way.

Chief Arnook and three expert warriors with spears held back the mob. He shouted to the children, saying: "_Get out of here now! We can't hold back the crowd much longer!_"

Sokka turned to the man. "Get on and tell your men to come with us! They will imprison you if you stay behind!"

Chief Arnook smiled at Sokka. "Leave us be! This is for what's left of the Northern Water Tribe. We're here to defend you, Sokka. This is what my daughter would have wanted—to see her father defending what is—_was_—right."

Sokka gazed at the moon.

He turned to the sky bison. "Appa… Yip! Yip!"

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**North Pole, Northern Water Tribe, Frozen Wilderness beyond the tribe**

Zhao had finished shoving coal into the airship's engine and were ready to cast off. The snow that had fallen here had accumulated over the platform and all over the craft, freezing some parts of it. Zhao feared that the airship might not fly but was relieved when the first pumps of heat began to raise the airship off the ground. They were airborne again.

Zhao steered the ship southwards.

"That couldn't have gone more pleasantly, don't you think?" asked Azula as she came in. The remaining ice bonds on her wrists were melted by the fire in the furnace.

Zhao nodded. "_It did… But we were cutting things a little too fine on one point… If your Avatar State hadn't been triggered, then things would have ended badly… We were just lucky that the Waterbender triggered your Avatar State…_"

"It didn't have to be the girl," Azula explained. "The original plan was to keep fighting even though the overwhelming forces of the Northern Water Tribe were all over me. Once I was weakened, I theorized that my Avatar State would trigger."

Zhao scoffed. "_Let's just hope that your theories work a lot better next time…_"

Azula smiled. "They always do."

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**Northern Sea, a few feet above the waters**

"We have no chance," said Aang quietly.

The entire group was sulking under the light of the full moon. The serenity betrayed the actual mood that was broadcasted throughout the entire group. Toph was still sneezing, Sokka was stoic, Katara was guilty, Zuko was silent, and Aang was pessimistic.

"We have no chance now," spoke Aang. "Once Azula masters Earthbending, it's all over for us. The Earth Kingdom is _huge_. There's no telling where Azula might go. She could slip in from the north without us even knowing. Once she enters the Earth Kingdom, we won't know where to find her!"

Sokka shook his head as he looked at a map. "It's not over yet, Aang." And Sokka handed Aang the world map. "Look.'

Aang stared at the map. "What's there to see?" he said dryly.

"Azula will be coming in from the north and you're right—once Azula gets into the Earth Kingdom, she'll be hard to track down. But before she can get into the Earth Kingdom, she has to pass by one thing."

Aang looked into the map, staring at the minute land formations on each continent and island. He saw the North Pole colored in blue. And just below that was the huge Earth Kingdom. There seemed to be no obstacle at all between the two nations. But Aang could see a large mountain range at the very north of the Earth Kingdom.

This was what Sokka was referring to. Aang turned to Sokka. "She'll have to pass by the Northern Air Temple."

Sokka nodded. "I believe Azula and Zhao will have another try to learn Airbending again. With Appa's speed, we can beat them to the temple before they can even tell we're there. It's an advantage we can use."

Aang nodded. "Then we're heading for the Northern Air Temple."

The others didn't seem to bother. They were all in their little worlds.

Katara was staring at a comb in her hand, trying to picture Hama's last words. She was filled with regret and guilt and it forced her to cry. But no amount of tear shedding would return Hama back. And Katara had failed her too. Hama had died in vain. Now, Azula had Waterbending.

Zuko kept asking himself: "_Have I changed…?_" In the beginning, the question seemed ludicrous. He _had_ changed. And Zuko had changed for the better. But Zhao's words began to affect him. _Zuko was still hunting the Avatar…_ He never knew how much that meant to him. He was so utterly confused now.

Toph was rubbing her nose all over her blankets.

"Why did they attack us?" she asked. "Those Northern Water Tribe people should know we're the good guys!"

"That's not how they see it," said Aang. "The Avatar defines the difference between right and wrong. That definition comes from his travels through the four nations. The Avatar gains wisdom of 'good' and 'evil' as he masters the four elements. One way to bring balance was through the Avatar.

"But now that Azula's the Avatar, the confusion begins. Azula has corrupted what was once 'right' and 'wrong'. But everyone still sees her as the Avatar. She has corrupted everything and everyone who sees her will believe in her."

"Does that make _us_ the _bad guys…?_" asked Toph. "Does that mean that everyone will be coming for us now?

Silence.

No one wanted to answer.

If they were the bad guys, they sure played their parts. Katara had challenged the Avatar by Bloodbending. Zuko was _still_ hunting the Avatar. Aang was in desperate need to fight Azula and Zhao.

Were they the bad guys?

No one wanted to answer.

But they all knew it.

Team _Avatar_ was the _enemy_ of the _Avatar_.

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_I'm sorry for the lateness of this chapter. The power went down in my place and __I had a math exam to study for. I might end up putting 2-3 chapters a week. And if the situation requires me, then none at all._

_Anyway, in this chapter, I placed in the effect of Azula as Avatar and how __the world would perceive her. The idea of the Avatar being the peace-guy should spark a few loyal followers. Also, Katara and Hama were my favorite in this chapter. _

_My next problem with the stories to come is Azula's Earthbending teacher. I've considered Xin Fu, but __I'm not sure. And Long Feng is locked up in Ba Sing Se. I'm also considering an OC, but that's tough to work with and everyone generally hates those with developed stories. I'll be reviewing Book I and II for ideas._

_So I'll come up with the answer in due time. Suggestions would be good too._

_R & R_


	17. Chapter 17: Defense of the North

It continues...

_Author's Note: __I was able to create this story with some ideas I had thought of when I was thinking about the Avatar universe. There were some scenes that I wished would come out and I've decided to add it here. Hope this is good and hope you enjoy the read. I just hope I can hand out the goods. The hiatus was cut short as I decided on the next nine chapters, but still, things would go quite slow. Updates will be posted whenever I can post or whenever I finish my story. Now, let's begin with the other half of Book Air._

_Disclaimer: I own no part of Avatar, the Last Airbender. But this story and this plot is entirely of my own creation. Any similarities to the official Avatar plotline are mere coincidences or are used for necessary events in the story. The same goes with the characters and settings._

Book 4

_Air_

Chapter seventeen:

Defense of the North

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**Fire Nation, Industrial Harbor**

"They said you were coming," Mai said with a small smile.

Iroh stepped off the Earth Kingdom ferry and onto dry land along with the other ferry passengers from Ba Sing Se. The small wooden ferry seemed lost among the large ironclad warships that surrounded the harbor. Seeing Mai on the landing amused Iroh a bit. "Why, it's nice to see you, Mai… I didn't expect an escort or a welcome party…"

Mai smiled. "Still the same cheerful uncle Iroh, I see."

At that point, Iroh lost his happy-go-lucky attitude to be replaced with a serious one. He stared up the battlements, past the lower city, on the large volcano, and beyond the crater—to which was the Grand Plaza. Mai could see tears forming in his old and tired eyes. Iroh began to wipe them with his green sleeve.

"Forgive me, Mai… It's just so _long_ since I was home…" Iroh sniffed.

Mai was moved by these simple words. "It wasn't that long…" she said. "From what I recall, it's only been a month since you were imprisoned in the Fire Nation capital."

Iroh nodded. "I did not come home that time… I was a prisoner, Mai… I was an enemy to the Fire Nation and I had been captured by my nephew, his sister, and the very same person who is greeting me right now…"

Mai was taken aback. She became racked with guilt. "_B-But…I said I was sorry…_"

Iroh reached out and embraced her. "I know…"

The two made their way to Mai's Komodo-Rhino carriage and they were off to the royal palace. The way up the volcano was a slow climb and Iroh was able to take in the breathtaking sights of the Fire Nation mainland. If one was in the right spot, they would see the industrial plaza and the lower city just beside the sea. A sunset would have made the feel even grander.

"All is well in the Fire Nation?" asked Iroh gently.

Mai sighed painfully. "No. There have been and still are problems. Most of the citizens are beginning to revolt."

Iroh rubbed his beard. "_Revolt?_ That does sound serious."

"It's because of this whole new Avatar business," said Mai. "Everyone loves the time of peace and they believe that if they don't join the Avatar, that peace will be gone. The Fire Sages that are loyal to the Avatar are also showing signs of revolts. There's pressure on the throne again. There are those who believe that if they want the Fire Nation to live peacefully, Zuko has to join Azula instead of fighting against her."

Iroh nodded thoughtfully. "I have heard about Azula as the Avatar. It is disturbing enough, I can tell you. Have you heard what happened to the North Pole?"

Mai nodded. "Everyone's talking about that too. The people are saying that if we don't side by the Avatar, the same fate will befall the Fire Nation. General Shinu and I have our hands full. Everyone's also asking why Zuko isn't here to lead his nation. They're saying that instead of acting as Fire Lord, Zuko has abandoned his country and gone off to serve for himself. _Lies_. I hate those people. They always find means to destroy us."

Iroh sighed. "Then my arrival isn't as welcomed as I thought it would be."

The carriage entered the crater side-entrance and pretty soon, they were in the middle of a city smack in the center of a large caldera. The volcano's heat provided the right atmosphere for those who loved it.

But most of these things weren't beautiful sights at all. Citizens were outside the carriage, raising their voices at the riders. They were a violent crowd of protesters. They were shouting like wild cats and raising their fists. If it wasn't for the guards, the carriage would have been turned to the side by now.

Iroh looked at the faces of the angry people and shook his head in dismay.

"_It's good to be home…_" Iroh sighed.

"By the way," said Mai. "I understand that you have your own arrangements planned out already. I've allowed all of them."

Iroh smiled thankfully. "I'm glad. It's time we had a little talk anyway."

"Are you planning to go there now?" asked Mai.

Iroh stretched his tired arms into the air, yawned, and scratched his back. "I'll do it tomorrow… Right now, I want to see if the palace still has some nice beds…"

Mai smiled happily. "You haven't changed one _bit_."

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**Northern Air Temple**

Among all the air temples, the Northern Air Temple is the one that doesn't seem to fit with the rest. The main difference is its location. Look into any world map and at first glance, it seems that there are only three white archipelagos—three air temples. That's because the Northern Air Temple is not situated on an isolated island-mountain range. The Northern Air Temple is located at the northern mountain range of the Earth Kingdom and is the only Air Nomad territory painted in brown.

As Appa landed on the temple's patio, Aang couldn't help but sense the temple's calmness. "It's so _quiet_…" Aang noticed. "What happened to the Earth Kingdom refugees that used to live here?"

"They've moved to the South Pole," said Sokka. "I had asked the Mechanist and the rest of his people to help in rebuilding our home. Most of them evacuated due to rumors of the killing air-taker. After all, who would want to be left in an air temple with a killing Airbender on the loose?"

Aang listened to the stillness of the temple. He could hear no clunking of metal, no whirring of machinery, or no whooshing of gliders. The temple had never been this quiet ever since he was revived from the iceberg. The Earth Kingdom refugees seemed to make this place lively. Now, the Northern Air Temple was nothing more than the empty shell it had been—like every other air temple in the world.

Toph landed on the patio with a 'smack'. Her colds were gone as it was much warmer here compared to the North Pole. Also, her left leg was more or less healed.

With Toph's 'sight' back, she was able to feel her way around the temple. "I think I liked the Western Air Temple better than this one," commented Toph. "This one smells like rotten eggs."

"No time for sight-seeing," said Sokka seriously. "Right now, we're at the advantage. We reached the Northern Air Temple _first_. We know Azula will try another time to master Airbending. They'll be coming here. We have to secure the temple before they get here."

Sokka, Toph, and Aang ran inside.

Katara was running too but stopped when she noticed Zuko wasn't following. Zuko was facing the morning sun, standing still with fists tightened. For a moment, Katara thought Zuko had turned into a rock, until Momo jumped on his shoulder. Zuko patted the lemur's large ears and Momo purred.

"Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the saddle today," Katara said jokingly as she walked beside him.

Zuko turned to Katara. He looked stressed beyond reason.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I don't think I'm okay…" he said. "I've been thinking of some things—of what Zhao said to me in the North Pole. He said that I was still hunting the Avatar, that I was doomed to chase the Avatar for the rest of my life."

"Pay no mind to Zhao," Katara assured. "He's messing with us and he's been doing it his whole life."

"But what if Zhao's right?" Zuko pressed. "Throughout the most important parts of my life, I always thought my destiny was to hunt down the Avatar. I only remembered it now when Zhao said it to me. It was like a set-up. He said it at the same place where I saw him die—at the same place where I believed that capturing the Avatar would regain my honor."

"But you've changed now," said Katara. "You've found your own destiny."

Zuko sighed. "And that's where everything confuses me. I believed my destiny was to help the Avatar. But now, Azula is the Avatar. Does that mean I have to help Azula?"

Katara gasped. "You _want_ to help Azula?"

"It's wrong, I know," said Zuko. "But then, that means I will hunt Azula down—I will hunt the Avatar. My destiny is back to where it started."

"Destinies change, Zuko," Katara said. "And don't worry too much. If Sokka can come up with a decent plan, we might end up reversing everything by the end of the day."

Zuko sighed and they started walking into the temple. "'_By the end of the day_'? I've heard that before."

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o0o

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The group had gathered in front of the temple's air sanctuary as per Sokka's instructions. On their way there, the group had passed by abandoned air-powered lifters, soundless oil pumps, cold furnaces, and some scattered gliders. The libraries that held the bending scrolls were pretty much replaced by a sleeping quarter but the temple was still filled with paintings. Azula would find no problem mastering Airbending here.

"First things first," said Sokka to the group. "If we want Azula captured, we need to lay down some traps. If I'm right, the Mechanist left a few things we could use in the sanctuary. Aang, would you do the honors…?"

Aang stepped in front of the sanctuary's huge lock. He breathed first, sucking in air into the bottom of his lungs. Aang pushed the air through his palms.

The air entered the two hollow trumpets and down separate winding pipes. One spiral rune spun under the pressure of the wind and the other followed. The spinning runes unlocked two of the door's locks. The breath of air continued on, to the third and last spiral rune, spinning it and making it whistle. This unlocked the third lock. Slowly, the door slid open.

Sokka entered first, not amazed by the sight of all the sharp weaponry. "The Mechanist must have some blasting jelly around here…" he muttered. "You guys search for some traps we could use…"

Momo followed them in. With the creature's natural curiosity, it scurried around the large room. It found a barrel full of _something_. With one hand, it reached in and licked the stuff.

The stuff was green paste.

Momo couldn't get it off his paw or his mouth, which was now clamped shut. The furry little creature tried to fly away from it, but the glue sucked him back in.

"Momo!" Katara shouted. "Get away from that!"

Katara bended the solution away from Momo and she was able to break him from it. She wagged a finger in front of him. "No more glue for you."

Momo chattered in disappointment.

Meanwhile, Toph was walking around, picking up all sorts of blades to pick her teeth, using them to remove this nasty piece of food that got stuck between her teeth. She couldn't anything thin enough. When she turned around and felt something interesting. She went closer to the object. It was a statue, but something was strapped to its back and arms.

"_Hey!_" shouted Toph. "What Avatar is this?"

Aang and Zuko walked towards her and saw the statue. "I've never seen that Avatar before," said Aang. "And what are those metal things around the arms and back?"

Toph bent closer and placed a finger on the metal. It was covered in thick dust. "Yeesh. You could think that whoever lived here might have actually cleaned this dust off."

Zuko turned around the statue and saw the large metal tank strapped to its back. On the tank was a small Fire Nation symbol. Looking on the arms, there seemed to be some sort of gas pump device that was connected to the tank and a candle on a small candle-holder. Placed on the statue's hands was a small metal clamp.

"Look," said Aang. "There are more of those things on these other Avatar statues. I can see eight of them—not counting this one."

Sokka heard the commotion and walked towards them. "What did you guys find?"

"We're not sure exactly," said Zuko. "Since these _things_ are strapped to the backs and arms of statues I guess they're meant to be worn by people."

"Let me take a look," said Sokka as he brushed the dust off the tank. "There's a small opening here. We'll see what's inside."

Slowly, Sokka uncapped the lid.

Nothing came out.

There was no liquid or anything.

There wasn't even a smell.

"They must be empty," Aang said. "There's nothing in them but dust."

Toph sniggered. "Just like Sokka's head."

Sokka didn't seem annoyed by the statement. Rather, he was transfixed at the small opening, wondering whether or not something was coming out. He turned to Zuko and said, "Zuko, can you light a little fire by the opening? I think I have a hunch on what's inside. Your light will allow me to look in."

Zuko lit a small fire at the tips of two of his fingers and placed it by the small opening.

_**FFFSSSHHH—BOOOOOMM!!**_

Zuko's tiny flame ballooned into a blazing giant fireball that should have killed them all if Zuko had not stopped Firebending right on the spot. He turned to Sokka angrily. "_What was that? Why didn't you tell me what it was? You could have killed all of us!_"

Sokka wasn't guilty at all. In fact, he was amazed and giddy at the same time. "Aha! I knew it! The tank's filled with natural gas. It's odorless and colorless. The temple has a room filled with it and I'm assuming the Mechanist got his gas there."

"Why would the Mechanist want to strap explosive gas to the back of a man?" asked Aang.

"I'm only making guesses here," said Sokka as he pointed to the contraption. "The gas tank is connected to these arm-pumps here by hoses. I'm guessing the candles that are placed at the end of the pump are already lit with fire…"

And then Sokka understood.

He stepped back. "This is some sort of fire-spitting device…"

Toph scratched her head. "How could you tell?"

"Well, since the gas passes through the pumps and out the small holes in these arm contraptions. The gas goes out to the lit candle. The gas plus a small flame equals a giant fireball. This machine throws fire. It's like fake Firebending."

Toph shook her head. "The way you understand things, Sokka…it creeps me out sometimes. "_Fake Firebending_"—it sounds just as bad as the real thing."

"How does it work?" asked Zuko.

"Again," said Sokka, "I'm just guessing. These clamps on the hands are probably some sort of triggering mechanism. If I pressed it just like this, the gas should pump out and—"

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o0o

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_**BOOOOOOMMMM!!**_

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o0o

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Again, Zuko's fast reflexes saved their lives. In a split-second, he had seen the tank explode. Reacting quickly, he pushed Sokka aside and forced the speeding explosion back, forming a shield of fire. Aang had jumped in and encased the explosion in air. When the ringing in their ears disappeared, the two stopped shielding.

The remains of the contraption were nothing more than scrap metal.

Katara came in running. "_WHAT WAS THAT?_"

Toph punched Sokka on the arm. "_Mister Itchy-fingers_, here just couldn't resist switching on a Fire Nation deathtrap machine. I have a feeling he'll want to blow up the rest too."

"It wasn't my fault!" Sokka reasoned. "The devices were faulty. These things were so poorly maintained that they exploded due to faulty _stuff!_"

Katara took Sokka's hand and patted it in a motherly way. "Well now we now," she said in lecture," we can't touch these things anymore, because they _explode_."

A smile went on Sokka's face. "That necessarily doesn't have to be _bad_ thing."

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o0o

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The scavenger hunt continued for the whole day with very little to amount with. Katara had been on watch outside while the rest found some steel cables, two barrels of blasting jelly, five cherry bombs, and more glue. It wasn't much, but Sokka was going to use them anyway. Meanwhile, Katara saw nothing. There was no sign of Azula anywhere and she had been on watch even in the night.

During the night, Sokka laid out his plan.

"If we want to be fully prepared when Azula comes, we'll have to divide our plan into stages," Sokka deliberated. "We all know that they have an airship and therefore will be coming here from the air. Therefore, our first wave will be composed of flyers. Katara and Zuko—you two have flown gliders before. You two are our first wave. The first wave's use isn't to stop Azula, but to make sure that they have no other place to go but the Northern Air Temple. After that, it's up to the second wave.

"Toph, that's your call. You're the second wave. You will stay on the Northern Air Temple and use Earthbending to draw Azula's fire out. It's your job to weaken her or tire her out. Once you got that, I'll give the signal and the last wave moves in.

"Aang, you're the last wave.

"Using the barrels of glue we found, we're going to pin her down. She'll be caught off-guard by the glue. Once she can't move, you get the Avatar Spirit back from her and we can send Zhao back to wherever he came from."

Sokka's plan was a good plan so far, but then, he came to the more serious parts of it. With stress, Sokka kept repeating: "_Whatever happens, Aang… we must not let Azula learn Airbending… We have to do whatever it takes to make sure she doesn't learn it… We have to make sure that she doesn't even go inside the temple…_"

Of course Aang understood. "I know Sokka," said Aang. "I'll do my best. Is that what you want me to do?"

"No, Aang," said Sokka. "I meant that we have to do _whatever_ it takes."

When Aang understood he said, "Oh… You mean if things go out of hand…you're going to destroy the air temple…"

Sokka nodded. "That's my job. Once I see that things don't go out well, I destroy the temple. I've rigged the explosives all over the temple and connected it to one clamp. One press and everything blows up. Azula doesn't get to learn Airbending."

_One press…_

_Destroy the air temple…_

_Everything blows up…_

Aang understood completely, but he couldn't help his eyes from becoming watery. _I won't let things come to that…_

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o0o

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The group had gathered around a small campfire they had made for themselves right on the patio. All of them leaned on Appa's side, relaxing for a moment. Zuko was serving tea while Katara was handing down food. Despite their knowing of the impending arrival of Azula, the group decided to rest. These were just children and children needed their rest.

"No way!" said Sokka. "Some kids actually thought they could beat you in a game of Earthbending Soccer because you were blind?"

"It was the Duke's idea of a scam," Toph gloated. "It worked out better than he thought and I was able to make a lot of kids run back to their mommies."

Sokka raised his cup. "Whose turn is it next? Zuko? Any tales from the Fire Nation? How's being the Fire Lord these days?"

Zuko shrugged. "It's been good. I was able to change a lot of things. I handed down some reform laws, removed some prisoners from jail, stopped most illegal affairs, created a new feel for the Fire Nation, and I even—"

"_Bo_-ring! Where's the action?" asked Toph. "Where's the excitement? Don't tell me all you do is to sit around and listen to some political people talk about problems? That can't be fun!"

"I have one!" said Katara, her eyes gleaming. "Me and Sokka saved Teo when his glider got pecked by birds on the way to the South Pole. Tell him, Sokka."

Sokka smiled with his eyes wide. "_Oooohhh_ yes… I remember that tale… It was a legendary feat involving a hero and his annoying sister… It all began like this… It was a _dark_ and _stormy_ night… I and Katara were braving the icy waters of the South Pole… Teo, a fool-hardy boy with no experience with gliding whatsoever, decided to boldly jump with a faulty glider… And the monkey-birds! _Yes_! The monkey-birds… Devious little creatures, those pesky monkey-birds—with their sharp teeth and red eyes… Teo stood no chance against the _MONKEY-BIRDS!!_"

Toph turned to Zuko. "What did you put in _his_ tea?"

"I was talking about telling the _truth_…" said Katara.

Sokka patted Aang on the back. "What about you, old pal? Have you got a story to tell?"

Aang glared at Sokka. "_NO!_"

Sokka backed away a bit. Toph was stunned by the sudden outburst. "Why so _edgy_, tenderfoot?" she asked.

"_Why so edgy? Why so edgy?_ _Azula's on her way here and all we're doing is talking about MONKEY-BIRDS!!_" Aang shouted. "_I've got an air temple to protect and all we're doing is drinking tea!_"

"Calm down, Aang," said Katara. "We did the best we could."

"Yeah," cheered Toph. "And bursting into anger is usually Zuko's job."

"_Hey!_"

Aang stood up and pointed to the dark mountains. "How can I _calm down_? We don't stand a chance against the _Avatar!_ If we try to hit her hard, it only triggers the Avatar State! If we _don't_ hit her hard, she uses Firebending and Waterbending to hurt us! She's the _Avatar!_"

Sokka had a smile and a thought. "I've been thinking about that," said Sokka with a raised finger. "Azula is the Avatar, right? She's the master of all the four elements as of now… _But…_ So are we!"

Toph glared angrily at Zuko. "What _did_ you put in his tea?"

"Hear me out for a second," Sokka said. "Azula is the master of the four elements, but so are we! Katara is the master of water. Toph is the master of earth. Zuko is the master of fire. And Aang, you are the master of air! We're like one big Avatar! The…_super_ Avatar! Go _super Avatar_!"

"The Avatar is _more_ than just the master of the four elements," said Aang angrily. "There's more to being the Avatar than learning air, water, earth, and fire."

Sokka smiled. "You're right! The Avatar Spirit! You guys can be the master of the four elements, I can be—_THE SPIRIT!_ _Who's got the spirit? I've got the spirit! Who's got the sprit! Ohhh… Sokka! Sokka! Sokka the spirit!_"

Katara, Toph, and Zuko couldn't help but burst out in laughter, clutching their stomachs in pain. Toph was pounding the ground with her fist. Katara was rolling round and round. Zuko was forcefully controlling his laughter. Aang had a throbbing headache.

"_It's not funny!_" Aang snarled. But Aang's frown went the other way in a few seconds and he couldn't help but laugh. The merriment made him feel better. "Okay… So it _is_ a bit funny… _Ha ha_… Sokka the spirit… _Good one_, Sokka…"

And Aang joined in the laughter.

"_A spirit?_" asked Zhao. "_I guess that is pretty funny._"

.

.

.

**A few meters away from the Northern Air Temple**** (earlier)**

Azula had shut off the propellers the moment the airship came in proximity with the air temple. The airship was now nothing more than a bobbing balloon floating in the air stream. By shutting off the propellers, Azula removed the ship's noise and they became completely invisible.

"Can you see the bonfire?" asked Azula. "They're here."

Zhao was amused. "_They're smarter than I thought… They probably knew you had to finish Airbending… And with their Sky Bison, they got here faster than we did… I have a feeling they're waiting for us…_"

"We don't have to fall into their trap," said Azula. "There are other air temples around the world. I can finish Airbending elsewhere. We can leave without starting a fight."

Zhao was stunned. "_Are you saying that you want to avoid this fight?_"

Azula started laughing. "I was only kidding, Zhao."

.

o0o

.

The wind was just right. While the airship floated freely, the wind was strong and it pushed it towards the air temple like it would to an over-sized kite. What Azula worried most was the possibility that the airship might block the light of the moon and their enemy would see them like a shadow in front of bright light. But so far, nothing was happening and the group seemed to be lost in the laughter of their own discussion.

Azula couldn't see them much but she could see her brother, laughing.

_Zuko is laughing… I have never seen him this happy before… Even in the face of adversity, these people laugh… What gives them hope, I wonder…? It used to be the Avatar that gave them hope… But what's keeping them going now…?_

"_Azula?_" asked Zhao. "_I'm ready to go. Make sure you're ready to go too…_"

"I'm ready to go," said Azula.

And Zhao disappeared in a flash of green.

In that moment, Azula was at the airship's steering wheel. She turned it around, making sure the rudders and ailerons were in the right position and they would be headed right for the air temple. Once this was done, Azula looked at her enemies on temple patio. They were all running around now, trying to fight Zhao. Azula couldn't help but be amused.

Her laughter rang out silently. No one else had gotten the joke.

_They know now that we're here… Might as well turn on the engines…_

The airship came back to life again. The noise of machinery zoned throughout the mountain range. The silence had been shattered by the spinning rotor blades and the blasting off the airship's furnace. In a few moments, the airship had leaped forward from drifting and had landed right beside the temple patio.

_Quickly… Tie the airship to a rock and get in the temple before they notice you…_

Sometimes, Azula found her mental conversations helpful. Right now, her own mind was annoying her. _I'm tired of you telling me what to do… I can do things myself, thank you very much…_

The voice in her head started to laugh.

_What's so funny…?_

_The fact that I'm the only one who understands your jokes…_

_I hate you…_

_Thank you…_

Azula sighed and mentally told her mind to shut up. With cat-like motion, Azula jumped off the airship platform and tied the hulking metal mass on a jutting rock-face. She then moved towards the temple opening. As she did so, she could see her group of enemies attacking an unaffected Zhao over and over again by the campfire. They would be too busy to see her move in.

"Look! Azula's going into the air temple!" said one of them.

_Your cover's blown…_

_If you don't keep quiet, I'm going to kill you!!_

_Oh yeah? Let me see you try…_

_Arrrggghh!!_

.

o0o

.

When Aang saw Azula heading for the temple entrance, he immediately jumped over Zhao's head. The spirit had been punching them like a madman and he would have distracted them if they did not hear the airship's noise. So, when Aang saw Azula, he made a front-flip over Zhao's head and started dashing for the temple entrance.

"We can't let her inside!" shouted Sokka. "Stop her now, Aang! Spring the traps!"

_Yes!_ Aang remembered. _The traps!_

The first trap was by the temple door and it didn't have to be sprung.

A nasty surprise was waiting for Azula.

Katara, Aang, Zuko, Sokka, and Toph were running behind her, waiting for the trap to jump out and get her.

.

o0o

.

Azula stepped into the large entrance.

Her feet caught onto something.

It was a tripwire.

This tripwire was attached to the wall, up a series of loops and needles, past a bunch of wheels and cogs, turning a large tilting mechanism, pulling up a large weight, and forcing three barrels of glue to tilt downwards. The green paste started to slough down. Azula saw the sloppy substance start to dip slowly, and then, quickly.

So, Azula burned it before it could touch her.

And with her feet, Azula rocketed paste the falling paste and out of harm's way.

The first trap had been avoided.

.

o0o

.

"Azula got through the first trap!" shouted Zuko. "And the glue is blocking the entrance! We can't get in!"

Sokka turned to Toph. "That's your cue, Toph. Make us another entrance."

Toph cracked her knuckles. "My pleasure."

Toph diverted her direction and speeded down a looming brick wall at the south side of the air temple. With her head, Toph easily broke through and the entrance was made. The group started to run through the whole and past the dust. Azula was not going to escape so easily.

The group was running.

"How many more traps are left?" asked Katara.

"We've got two left," said Sokka. "There are some glue barrels at the ceiling of the central tower. If that doesn't work, then I've planted some cherry bombs at the sanctuary entrance with a short fuse. Someone still had to ignite it."

Zuko nodded. "That's me." And the Firebender disappeared through a side tunnel.

Sokka pointed to Azula who was just up ahead. "_Katara! Toph!_ Slow her down! _Aang!_ We're entering the central tower! Go up to the ceiling and get ready to spring the trap!"

"_Got it!_" the three said in unison.

"And remember," Sokka reminded. "Once we're out of traps, just whistle. I'll be at the third trap. Once the whistle is given, everyone clears the temple. Understand?"

"_Yes!_"

.

o0o

.

Azula got on one of the air-driven elevators and switched it on. The elevator jolted upward in one breath of air. Once she had reached the right level, the elevator locked onto the platform and Azula got out. Well below her were the Waterbender, the Earthbender, the Airbender, and Sokka.

Azula scampered down the platform to the next elevator.

Katara created a large water whip and sliced the upcoming platform in half, creating a large hole where Azula was supposed to fall through.

Azula jumped right through it and into the next elevator.

"She's getting higher!" Aang shouted. "I'm going up!"

Aang flicked the glider's wings open and jumped into the air, shooting up like a speeding specter. Katara used the temple's pool of water to help her up, riding on a small wave and up the second elevator. Toph moved onto the tower's wall and started running on it from the side, scaling the vertical surface like a person would on flat ground. She then jumped onto the metal platform and folded it into a staircase.

Azula was running out of options. Pretty soon, she'll have to go down.

It was a long way down.

Azula stopped on the next floor and jumped out just before Aang blasted it out of its railings. The Firebender sent a blaze of blue fire that pushed Aang back before he could jump and attack her again.

_They're all closing in on you… Can you feel it…?_

_I have no time for this! I need to concentrate on staying alive!_

.

o0o

.

At this point in battle, everything became music.

An unknown force became the conductor—a wise man with a good stick. Before him was the entire orchestra. The orchestra was composed of the percussion, the stringed, the wind, and other instruments. It was a complete orchestra. And that orchestra had a number to play. It would be a dramatic number with all sorts of beatings.

As the conductor begins, so does the music. Like any epic moment, it starts with the silent. Only one tune it played and it is stretched. It is a haunting voice from one of the vocalists. At the same time, Azula and Aang have begun their battle.

Then, the tune is mixed with sleight drumming from percussion instruments. Drums begin slowly, rising with the beat of the listeners. Azula and Aang are interchanging blows and attacks, starting slow, but rising.

The duet of instruments continues until the audience is familiar with it. Here and there, a lute plays for a few seconds, signifying the entrance of a new opponent—Katara or Toph comes in with their own silent battery of attacks. _Dum-dum-aaaa… Dum-dum-aaa…_ It repeats and repeats. The rush of feet is quick and in tune. Slowly, the stringed instruments come in without warning but are welcomed. They all rise and rise until the first tune is lost in the sea of mixing beats and other voices. The noise has reached an ear-shattering equal. At some point, everything should explode.

Then, the sound is taken away.

All is silent for a few seconds.

And the sound rushes back like thunder.

The very tower of the air temple shakes with the explosions and variations from Azula's attack.

_**BOOM!!**_

_**ZRACK!!**_

_**BAM!!**_

_**POW!!**_

The violinists are violent with their instruments, using their bow like a saw. The drums are pounding, beating as one. The vocals are screeching. The beat is spasmodic and violent. Yet somehow, the music stays whole and epic. The charge is swift. Rocks are flying. Water is being thrown. Air is shooting in bursts.

_Crescendo!_

_Crescendo!_

The conductor is raising his hands in the air, choosing to jerk his fingers. The music rises to its apex. The conductor moves his arms around wildly and each instrument beats harder and harder. _Allegro! Rise!_ And the moment is in tune with the music. The conductor stops his motions and keeps his hand steady in the air.

One tune is maintained like a strong and steady wire.

Azula is about to fall off the edge of the platform.

_Steady…_

_Steady…_

Azula falls.

The conductor moves to the vocalists, telling them to hold the tone as long as possible. The tone is a ghostly tone. It stretches throughout the entire opera. A few seconds into Azula's fall, the drums are added in for tension. _Will Azula live? Will she survive the fall?_ The drums create that atmosphere.

And the tone is naked again. A haunting note from the vocals.

Azula uses a burst of flame to propel her to the nearest platform. She is alive and she wishes to continue fighting. The girl has never backed off from the fight. With her step on the landing, the music rushes back with a swish of the conductor's stick. The opera has become a maddening noise.

The fight returns.

Zuko runs into the scene. The conductor sees this as a good use of the Sunghi horn. It fits the moment and the conductor maintains it. In Zuko's hands are a couple of cherry bombs and he lights them all at once. He throws them at Azula and makes a wild run to the side.

_**BOOOM!!**_

There is no tune accompanying the explosion. It is just the explosion that plays its own music. When the deafening roar disappears and it is clear that Azula is still alive, the conductor points to the lutes and the violins. The violins switch strings with every slide of their bows. The lutes continue with air forcing.

Aang activates the second trap and the glue starts to fall.

Azula Waterbends the polluted waste water of the temple and forced the glue to fall to the side. The conductor is running out of breath. Too much music is employed now. The scene must come to a rest if it must be finished in signature.

The music slows down.

_An Adagio here…_

_A quiet lute there…_

Everyone is exhausted—the orchestra and the characters both. Two of the main traps are gone and exposed. There would be no way to capture her at this point. If they are to prevent Azula from learning Airbending, they must destroy the air temple. It cannot be helped now.

The last note of the music does not come from the orchestra.

It comes from Aang, who gives a high-pitched whistle.

The whistle continues on and on…

The opera ends beautifully but no one is bowing.

.

o0o

.

Sokka hears the whistle. In his hand is the triggering mechanism. The mechanism is tied to a bunch of cogs and gears that when activated, presses the clamps of individual tanks filled to the brim with natural gas. The whistle reaches his ears and he doesn't hesitate to press the clamp.

He presses it.

Nothing happens.

.

o0o

.

Katara, Zuko, Toph, and Aang are already outside the air temple. Nothing has happened since Aang's whistle. Aang continues to give the signal but there isn't even a small explosion are a sound of one coming from the insides of the temple. Their assumptions of a failure are proved correct when Sokka rushes out the temple, waving his hands like a lunatic.

"_The last trap has failed to ignite!_" Sokka screams.

The others look to the Northern Air Temple. Azula was still inside. With this thought, everyone thought the air temple had gone scarier. It did seem the temple had gone a horrible shade of grey. The snow seemed to turn the temple into a fortress. Their whole plan had collapsed with one flick of a switch.

"Can we fix it?" asked Zuko.

Sokka shrugs. "I don't know. It could be a problem with the fire-spitting devices. Maybe they're not faulty like the one I blew up in the sanctuary. Another possibility is that somehow, the connecting strings got cut off or something."

"Alright," Katara concludes. "We have the problems. But right now, we're looking for a solution. Is there a way to trigger all of them at once again? Can we fix the trigger?"

Sokka shook his head. "We don't know for sure. We'll need to find the problem first before we can fix it."

Toph was impatiently tapping her foot on the ground. "_Guys…_ The more we talk out here, the longer Azula stays inside the temple… What if she comes out and _Airbends_ us off the mountain? I don't really _like_ falling, guys… It's one of the few times when the ground is actually _against_ me…"

Zuko sighs. "We're wasting our time. We have to set off the bombs."

Sokka snaps his fingers with sudden insight. "_I've got it!_ The natural gas chamber! The chamber's already filled with natural gas… If we could set the whole room to explode, the tanks filled with natural gas would follow from the explosion. It would be one explosive trigger!"

"Then let's go!" shouts Toph.

Sokka scratches the back of his neck. "It's not that simple… Once we go down there and set it off, there's no time to get out of the temple. We could use spark powder but I left all of them inside."

"Then I'm going in," says Aang.

Everyone looked at Aang. Sokka seemed worried. "It's not a choice if one of us has to go in, Aang. All of us can go in. You're not the only one that has to do this. We finish this Team Avatar-style."

Aang pounds his staff on the ground once. "I'm not putting all of you at risk for this. This is an _Air nomad_ temple; therefore an air nomad has to destroy it. You should give me at least that. And also, you guys keep saying that Azula's weakness is me. Then _I'm_ the only one with a shot at getting to the gas chambers."

"That's crazy logic, Aang," says Katara angrily. "No one has to play 'hero' here."

"Face her off Twinkle-toes!" Toph encourages.

Sokka shakes Aang's hand firmly. "We're with you every step of the way. And here's a candle to light the gas."

Katara turns to them. "You guys can't be _serious!_ We can't let Aang go like that!"

Zuko pats Aang on the shoulder. "We'll be waiting for you out here."

Aang turned to Katara. "I'm going alone, Katara. _Alone_."

Katara sighs, defeated.

Katara shakes her head and places both her hands on his shoulders. "Never alone, Aang. You've got us." Katara smiles warmly. "And me," In that moment and that space, Katara and Aang lean in to share a kiss. When they part ways, Katara warms her shoulders and Aang jumps into the temple.

.

o0o

.

_No Azula so far… That's a good sign…_

Aang was pushing air behind him and lessening the air in front of him. This enhanced his running. Aang moved so fast that he was barely a blur. The action did rip some loose tiles from the wall and was one of the reasons why running like this in the air temples had been banned before. Aang had no time to obey such regulations. He did not know the temple's exact layout. The natural gas chambers would take some time to find.

_Where is Azula…? She seems to have disappeared…_

Aang ran through the central tower and down the lower levels through a winding staircase. If Sokka's directions were right, the natural gas chamber should be down a dark tunnel. At the end of the tunnel should be a sealed wooden door. Maybe, if Aang could place in the candle through the slot, he would have enough time to run away.

But things were never that easy.

Already, Aang could hear the quick pitter-patter of footsteps that were running down the stairs. These sounds were coming from behind. They would be Azula's feet, no doubt. There was no point in turning back now. Aang had only one direction left: forward.

Or, Aang could be stopped by the door.

_It's locked!_

Aang reaches for the metal handle again but the wooden frame would not budge. Aang tries a blast of Airbending but the metal lock is too strong to be moved by severe wind. But there was still another way to light the gas within the chamber. The door had a slot in which Aang could just slide in the lit candle. But there would be no escape from the immediate explosion.

Once the gas touched the fire, it would spread throughout the whole chamber. Seeing that the fire is in an enclosed space, the explosion would go out the door and up the tunnel. For a moment, the blast would be contained as the lower levels of the temple contained limited air and the fire would not flourish in a less-than hospitable oxygen atmosphere. But once the fire reached higher and higher, the air would increase and the fire would blossom into an all-out fireball. The heat itself would be strong enough to detonate the tanks of natural gas placed in strategic locations throughout the temple. The temple would be destroyed and anyone trapped in the temple would be reduced to a crisp.

Needless to say, _it would not be an easy death_.

Aang opened the slot. Already, the lit candle in his hands was getting brighter due to the released gas from the slot.

"_Stop whatever you're doing!_" Azula shouted.

A trickle of sweat ran down Aang's forehead. There was no escape from this situation. He was so close to ending this. All he needed was to place the fire inside. Aang was so cautious about the candle that he even protected it from slight breezes. The fire should be placed in _now_!

"Turn around!" Azula demanded.

Aang turned around with the candle still in his hand.

_So close…_

_Keep the candle lit…_

_It is the only chance of ending this…_

Azula stepped closer. "I'm tired of our battles. I'll see to it that you won't have a moment's chance of escape. And maybe, if you're a good little boy, I could allow you to teach me a little Airbending. I find it easier with a teacher then with reading. Maybe you could teach me your art."

"You're crazy!" Aang shouted. "Why would I do that?"

Azula shrugged. "I have many ways of persuasion. Being nice is one thing. And there are _so_ many others…"

Azula went one step closer.

_I'm wasting my time…_ thought Aang. _I need to blow the chamber… Azula is scaring me too… Plus, I'm in an underground tunnel with nothing but darkness… This candle is my only hope… Its light will end this once and for all… _

"You seem to be holding onto that candle which seems to be getting bigger," Azula mused. "Is _that_ you're little hope? Too bad. A small light like that could be blown away…"

Aang turned to the candle.

It was now or never.

And with one huff from his breath, Aang blew out the candle light.

.

o0o

.

The tunnel instantly went dark.

_I can't see him!_ Azula shrieked in her mind. _He blew out the light! I can't believe he just did that!_

But despite the darkness, Azula knew the situation had not changed. Aang was still trapped between her and a locked door. All she needed to do was strike him down and send him into his darkest nightmares. But without light, Azula was pretty much useless. How was she to know that the boy had not used Airbending to rush through her?

Out of the darkness, the boy's voice rang out. His voice was in front of her, meaning he had not moved from his spot earlier. "_It's over, Azula… I've got you trapped here… If you come peacefully, then there is no need to hurt you… Are you listening? Just surrender and I won't have to hurt you…_

Azula scoffed. "Are you baiting me? It won't work. _You're_ the one trapped here. _I'm_ the one who's going to hurt you!"

"_But you can't fight me if you can't see me…_" said the boy's voice. Azula could hear his tone. It was strangely calm.

Then, there was a sudden rush of wind that nearly knocked her to the side. Azula stood her ground, thinking: _The boy is Airbending in the dark. He can't see me just as I can't see him…_

But Azula laughs. "You think I can't see you? I have a light of my own! I'm a Firebender, stupid boy!"

And Azula lights two blue flames on her hands.

Azula is comforted by the fact that the dark has disappeared. She can see now and that made the situation better. But the thing that made the situation worse was the fact that the somehow, some way, she was alone in the tunnel. The boy had disappeared.

And with further inspection of her surroundings, Azula noticed the wooden door at the end of the tunnel. The slot there was open like before. She didn't understand what lay inside it because it was truly dark inside.

At that moment, Azula's flames burst into a fiery blue fireball—all fueled by the natural gas within the chamber. The heat extended all the way in and the chamber started to warm up. An explosion was imminent. Azula had no time to run away.

The chamber erupted into a giant fireball. The wooden door got blasted down. Azula started running. The fireball reached up to her and out the tunnel.

.

o0o

.

Airbenders are known to get out of tight situations. With quick thinking, agile reflexes, and near-perfect flexibility, Aang whizzed by Azula, preferring to shoot out from beneath her legs. The young Airbender used that same breath of air to push him out the tunnel and into the central tower, aboveground. If he was right, Aang had only a few seconds left to spare. The central tower had windows on the upper levels.

The only way out is up.

And the ground started to shake.

_Move!_

Aang snapped his glider wings open and jumped into the air, releasing a wake of turbulence just beneath him. Within a few seconds into his flight, the temple floor exploded into a flurry of shrapnel and fire. Around him, Aang could hear distant explosions from the tanks of natural gas. The fire was rising with form, ready to swallow him and churn all the bones.

_Higher_, said Aang's core. _Higher!_

The heat was overwhelming.

_Faster!_

And with just a hair's length of escape, Aang shot out one of the temple windows. He shot out—into freedom.

.

o0o

.

The fire that was eating away the temple was not yet finished. Situated explosions due to Sokka's improvised bombs destroyed most of the outer reaches of the temple. The fireball had erased every form of life and past life within seconds. Looking at it from outside, the tower just incinerated out of existence. The fireball that took is place was so huge that it could almost be considered an art form.

Unlike the Western Air Temple, which had slowly and painfully burned away, the Northern Air Temple was given a kinder fate. It had been quick with less torture, like a man sleeping away his death. It was a beautiful way to destroy an air temple.

Even Aang was brought to tears.

The Northern Air Temple was gone.

.

o0o

.

Aang landed right by his friends. Katara caught him for support. She was so ready to give him kind words, like: "_I'm so proud of you…_" or "_It must have taken so much courage to blow up the temple…_" and even "_I'm so glad that you're alive…_" But Aang was not ready for comfort yet.

And Aang's silence was broken when he said, "_I doubt Azula's gone…_"

And that statement was confirmed by Zuko when he pointed to the Earth Kingdom airship that was now moving away. "_Look! They're escaping again!_"

Katara turned to Aang. "I think you better let us handle this one."

Nothing was ever finished.

.

o0o

.

Zuko and Katara got hold of some gliders from the scattered ones that were left outside. They immediately jumped off the cliff-face and flew towards the airship. Zuko nodded to Katara. "_I'm tired of chasing them around!_" he shouted against the wind. "_We have to destroy the airship!_"

Katara had a devious smile on her face. "_I'm all set._"

Together, the two began to destroy the airship's frame, choosing to attack from above. Zuko used his feet to burn off the airframe and Katara had to free one hand from the glider's handle bar to Waterbend a small knife of water to slice through the metal. The airship was releasing its precious cargo of hot air and was slowly falling from the sky.

Katara fell behind, moving towards the aft section of the airship. "_I'm going to destroy the propellers!_"

Zuko nodded. "_I'm going to destroy the platform._"

But the two already knew that the airship was destroyed. Airships, no matter how advanced they were with their metal frames and large furnaces, still relied on the crucial hot air. All that hot air was seeping out through the metal cracks on top. It was falling rapidly now.

Zuko lowered himself to the platform.

But to his horror, no one was onboard.

"_They've tricked us!_" Zuko shouted. "_They're not here!_"

The two left the falling airship to fend for itself. They turned around and glided back to the Northern Air Temple, bringing nothing but bad news. The airship had been a diversion. Azula and Zhao must have escaped another way.

But the biting question was how.

.

.

.

**A few hundred meters below the mountain of the Northern Air Temple**

Azula could barely hold on to the glider.

One hand was on her side, trying to hold over a bruise. The explosion had scarred her in many parts of her body. During the explosion, Azula had enveloped herself in a large blue fire shield and used every last ounce of self-preservation to get her out of the tunnel. With fueled hatred, she had quietly released the airship for her enemies to follow. In the meantime, Azula would be making her escape down the mountain through one of the many gliders that had been scattered around the temple.

Azula caught sight of the Earth Kingdom airship floating above her.

_Let them follow the bait… Escape is the only option…_

Below her and in front of her was a wide landscape that stretched as far as the eye could see. In the distance, Azula could see lights coming from small huts. This was Earth Kingdom territory.

_The Earth Kingdom is a vast land… __My enemies will not find me so easily here…_

Azula recalled her need to learn Airbending.

_I will learn Airbending elsewhere… There are other air temples…_

_If they keep destroying air temples, Airbending will be out of reach…_

_Shut up! I already know that!_

_I'm just reminding you…_

_Shut up!_

Azula crash-landed moments later, her feet skidding across painful rocks and gravel. The glider completely tore itself to pieces upon landing. The fabric and the frame broke apart. And just like the glider, Azula was damaged, wounded, and tired. She felt like sleeping.

A man walked up to her and urged her to her feet.

"_We must move,_" said Zhao. "_Our enemies will be right behind us…_"

.

.

.

**Northern Air Temple remains**

The group mounted Appa. Sokka was rushing everyone to get their stuff onto the saddle. "_Faster, people! Azula couldn't have gotten far on her own!_" And despite Sokka's orders, he was doing nothing to help them. Toph had to step on his foot just to remind him that he was getting noisy and unhelpful.

By the time they were ready to fly, the sun had broken out through the horizon. Sokka, Toph, Katara, and Zuko were already asleep on the saddle, trying not to think about Azula. Aang, Appa, and Momo were the only ones awake.

Aang couldn't keep his eyes away from the destroyed air temple.

Appa moaned.

Momo squeaked.

"It's going to be okay, guys," Aang assured.

As Aang stared at the temple and at the still glowing fires that were still hard at work destroying whatever was left, he couldn't help but feel so isolated—_so alone_. Another memory of the air nomads had been erased. Aang belonged to a dying breed of people. He was a remnant—a preserved form of an older race.

But that race was long gone.

And Aang was the only one left.

Aang felt like he was being squished inside a small box. He was always alone even with his friends. Pretty soon, even Aang would die. And even if Aang had children, who's to say that he would be alive to teach them Airbending? And who would be there to teach the next Avatar Airbending?

But not everything was at a loss. Today, Team Avatar had prevented Azula from learning Airbending. The only problem with that was that they won at a high cost. And Azula would be impossible to track down in the vast stretches of the Earth Kingdom.

Alone.

Aang was so alone.

The isolation made Aang feel like he was dying.

And the last Airbender couldn't help but cry.

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_Aang's isolation is growing only stronger. Two air temples down and two to go. Will Aang stop Azula in time to save the last few remnants of the air nomads? Only time will tell._

_I am also happy to say that there are only three chapters left before the four or five-part finale. I'm itching to right it down but I'll hold fire on that until I place in the next three important chapters._

_The next chapter is probably a very… interesting chapter… You'll probably know why when you read it. The group's return to the Earth Kingdom was part of a bigger plan. I can't give a lot away, but I assure you that the next chapter will be worth the wait._

_To Mr. Watch and Learn, I write fast because I pace myself when I write. Since I want to write novels some day, I make sure that I finish writing one book in the span of two months. That way, I get to release more than one book a year._

_To gobier182, I hope that the last chapter explained Hama's treachery and why she had to side Azula for a moment. I had it planned out in the first place and I knew already that Hama would never join Azula even if she killed her._

_Will update when possible…_

_Kojab8890_


	18. Chapter 18: Confrontations

It continues...

_Author's Note: __I was able to create this story with some ideas I had thought of when I was thinking about the Avatar universe. There were some scenes that I wished would come out and I've decided to add it here. Hope this is good and hope you enjoy the read. I just hope I can hand out the goods. The hiatus was cut short as I decided on the next nine chapters, but still, things would go quite slow. Updates will be posted whenever I can post or whenever I finish my story. Now, let's begin with the other half of Book Air._

_Disclaimer: I own no part of Avatar, the Last Airbender. But this story and this plot is entirely of my own creation. Any similarities to the official Avatar plotline are mere coincidences or are used for necessary events in the story. The same goes with the characters and settings._

Book 4

_Air_

Chapter eighteen:

Confrontations

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_The stone walls were rugged and dark. The light from the torches barely reached the prison cells. Every sound made by anyone would certainly be echoed throughout the main hallway. The sound of a swinging door. The sound of footsteps coming closer and louder. The sound of silent sighs from a middle-age man. This was not the place for the happy at heart. This was a place of sadness and grief. It was not a place for Fire Lords._

_Ozai saw the newcomer walking in. __"I should count myself lucky… The new Fire Lord has graced me with his presence in my lowly prison cell…_"

_Zuko stood still—looking __at the once proud man that had been his father—the very same man that had shadowed the world in fear and darkness. This was the very same man that crowned himself ruler of the world. "You should count yourself lucky that the Avatar spared your life…"_

_Ozai stared away and scoffed. "Hmmph…_"

"_Banishing me was the best thing you could have done for my life… It put me on the right track..." Zuko said softly. His words were filled with whisper and they were layered with an ulterior motive. "Perhaps your time in here can do the same for you..."_

_Ozai could smell Zuko's intentions beneath all the talk._

"_Why are you really here…?" Ozai asked, cutting to the chase._

"_Because you're going to tell me something..." said Zuko firmly_

_And with that said, Zuko knelt closer so his father could hear every word he was about to say. His eyes were hard and his face was stiff. Through his voice, one could tell Zuko's determination…_

"_Where. Is. My mother…?"_

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**Earth Kingdom, Northern territory, forest village**

Zuko woke up, startled. When he surfaced, he already felt his mouth moving and he recognized the formation of his lips. He knew what he had said and he grasped for the memory. _Mother_. The dream was vivid. The emotions in it were so strong that it had forced him to sweat in his sleep. He wiped his face with a feverish hand and sighed deeply. The same dream kept coming back every time to haunt him. And all of them happened after his last encounter with his father.

Bad dreams.

This was commonplace to Zuko. If it wasn't dreams about his encounter with his father, it was dreams about ice cream and jumping around with Mai. Pressure. That was why he was having these dreams. Azula mastering the four elements was getting to him. And there was more.

The failure at the North Pole.

Azula's escape to the vast Earth Kingdom.

Bad news from Mai about the Fire Nation that arrived through messenger hawk.

All of these things did nothing but compound the group's day to day problems. The world was filled with so much bad news that the depression could turn any piece of food into its horrible and rotten state. The group could only cringe at the sight of more bad news. What they needed now was some good news.

And they needed it badly.

Good news was the only thing that would allow Zuko some dreamless sleep. But so far, without good news, the group would have to make do with nothing but shallow hopes and fruitless dreams. Zuko did not see them as a cure. They were just temporary remedies to an aging problem.

For the moment, Zuko would have to keep dreaming about his mother or ice cream.

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o0o

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"_RISE AND SHINE, HOTHEAD!_" shouted Toph. "_BREAKFAST IS READY!_"

Zuko was roused, not by Toph's voice, but by the sound of "breakfast". Already, his stomach was rumbling and he couldn't think of anything _but_ food. _This must be how Sokka feels…_ Zuko was so committed to eating that he bumped his head on the top of his tent. When he sat back down, the entire tent collapsed over him and he got tangled in the cloth.

When Zuko was out, he found himself looking at Toph's feet. Looking up, Zuko could see that Toph was shaking her head in dismay. She had her hands folded across her chest. "Man… you look _horrible_… Did you even get _any_ sleep last night…?"

Zuko stood up and stretched his lower back. "It's nothing… I just had some bad dreams…"

Toph smiled and snorted. "I _bet_… I could hear all your mumblings last night—something about your mother." And Toph turned around, choosing to walk away at the finishing of that statement.

Zuko was mollified. "_What did you hear?_" he gasped as he ran to her.

Toph had another of her nasty smiles on her lips. Zuko's desperation made her realize that she was a step higher than him in this situation. Toph played it cool. She shrugged and pretended she did not hear much. "Oh, it's not much… It's usually the _same_ thing I hear every night…"

Zuko's face went white. "You could hear me _every_ night…?"

Toph laughed slowly. "Hey… I may be blind, but I can hear you very well… And trust me. You're not the only one disturbed in your dreams… Also, your tent is right next to mine."

Zuko rubbed his face thoroughly. "Are you going to tell the others…?"

Toph sighed. "I can't stand seeing you so wimpy. It doesn't fit you. Trust me Zuko… If I wanted to tell the others, I would have told them by now. Your secret's safe with me."

Zuko sighed. "Thank you."

"Now let's join the others," Toph said as she started running. "They've probably eaten halfway through the food."

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o0o

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It turned out that Sokka, Katara, and Aang had barely touched their meals. Toph and Zuko caught up with them in the village's eatery. The one who was managing the open eatery kept shouting at the group, telling them that no pets were allowed inside the large stall. Momo was the serious issue. The lemur got into all sorts of trouble with the pans and pots. Appa was another nuisance. Though the large bison could not fit into the stall, Appa's head was large enough to fit through the side window and Aang was the one feeding him small pieces of food.

Zuko sat beside Sokka and ordered a bowl of warm noodles. "So…what's our plan for today…?"

Sokka sighed, uninterested. "Not a clue."

"What do you _mean_ you don't have a plan?" Toph retorted. "You _always_ have a plan! You're the plan-guy!"

Aang sighed with a hint of annoyance. "What's the _point?_ Every time we go against Azula, we always lose. And we can't follow her anymore now that she abandoned her airship and lost herself in the Earth Kingdom. It'll be like finding a needle in a haystack."

"What about going to another air temple?" Zuko asked. "We could go to the nearest one and wait for Azula to arrive."

Sokka shook his head. "At this point, we don't know which of the last two remaining temples Azula could go to. If Azula moves to the east, she would go to the Eastern Air Temple. If she moves down, she heads for the Southern Air Temple. If we head to any of them, there's a good chance that Azula could go to the other and completely master Airbending. She could totally miss us."

"But what if we removed the other air temple?" asked Toph. "We could destroy the Eastern Air Temple to make sure that Azula has nowhere else to go but the Southern Air Temple."

"No!" Aang spoke. "No more destroying of air temples. The Northern Air Temple is the last that should _ever_ be destroyed. If we're going to find Azula, we'll do it _here_—in the Earth Kingdom."

"And how are we going to do that?" asked Katara. She too looked like a skeptic.

"I have an idea," said Zuko. "We could follow the news. That's how _I_ used to do it when I was hunting you guys down. My sister's bound to cause some trouble and there will be people to talk about it. If we listen to the news, I bet we could track Azula down even in the Earth Kingdom."

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Toph agrees with jubilance.

"Following news?" Sokka mused. "I don't know…"

"It's not like you guys have a better idea," Toph spoke.

Katara sighed. "Let's just hope that we'll get some good news soon. I can't stand being beaten around. The food tastes worse when you lose. Also, I hope there aren't any surprises either. For all we know, Azula could walk into this tavern and suddenly—"

"_**BOO!!**_"

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o0o

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Katara, Sokka, Zuko, Toph, and Aang all jumped at once.

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o0o

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"_I got you guys GOOD!_" laughed a small boy. "_You guys should have seen your faces! They were PERFECT!_" The cheerful boy was clutching his stomach and gasping for air. His happy face immediately turned to Aang. "_Your_ face was the worst, _Mister Aang_."

Toph turned to Aang. "He knows your name. Do you know him?"

Aang looked at the boy and scoured his features. At first glance, he would have thought that the boy was a stray—a mere child who knew him by fame. But something about the hair and the wild smile seemed familiar. The one that finally made Aang realize who he was looking at was a marking on the boy's chin that ran down his neck.

It was a brown arrow—a painted arrow.

And on the boy's hands were brass knuckles.

The small boy turned his attention when he heard a low moan coming from Appa. He saw the bison and squealed at the sight. He ran up to its big furry head and planted his face deep within its soft white fur.

Aang smiled. "_Khai…_"

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o0o

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"You know him?" asked Katara.

Aang, for the first time in days, was all smiles. He looked like the child he had once been before the war. "I met Khai some weeks ago before all of this Avatar Azula stuff happened. He's an amazing kid if he has to. You may think he's just a child, but if he has to fight, he fights hard. And you wouldn't believe how this kid fights…"

Aang pointed to Khai. "I don't know how he learned them all, but Khai fights like the Avatar. He's mastered the four elements."

"_WHAT?_" Sokka blurted.

Aang chuckled. "Well, not really '_like_' the Avatar. He can't bend. But he's mastered all the techniques. You should see him in action! He's the kid who could Waterbend, Earthbend, Firebend, and Airbend without the bending."

Zuko looked at the small and fragile boy. "He doesn't look much."

Khai walked away from Appa, his face covered in white fur. The child was so naturally messy that it made the group laugh. When he smiled, there was fur stuck in between his teeth.

"So," asked Aang. "What are you doing here? Where's your mother?"

Khai pointed out the window to the forest. "My mom's in the forest… She's sick."

Katara listened in. "_Sick?_ Your mother's sick?"

Khai's face instantly became sullen and dry. The cheerful youth that seemed to dance in his eyes was long gone now. The little boy continued pointing out the window. "_Dying…_" Khai said weakly. "I came here to ask for help. Can _you _help?"

The group exchanged hard glances.

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**Fire Nation, Grand Plaza**

The protests and rallies that were happening on the Grand Plaza were getting out of hand. The guards, which had been ordered not to harm any of the Fire Nation citizens, were getting assaulted by the crowd. Some unruly patrons thought it best to throw fire at one of the guards' faces. This resulted into a riot from the guards and they had no choice but to attack the civilians themselves. Though the guards had the situation under control, it was only a matter of time before the Fire Nation citizens would gang up together to storm the palace and dismount the guards.

Once or twice, there was a protest yell, saying: "_THE FIRE LORD IS NOT FIT TO RULE! KEEP THE PEACE ALIVE! THE ROYAL BLOODLINE MUST COME TO AN END! THE AVATAR MUST RISE!_"

The protests fueled the people's bloodlust. The bloodlust fueled the riots. The riots fueled the protests. It was one vicious cycle that forced the guards back a few meters. Some predicted that by the end of the day, the people would cross the line and storm the palace doors.

But among these people was one hooded figure—a man. He remained silent and vigilant, making sure not to arouse attention from the crowd. He made his way past the protesters and the hail of fire that was raining throughout the Grand Plaza. The man moved farther back, choosing to head for the crater rim.

A few moments later, the man entered the prison tower located at the crater rim of the city.

The guard at the front stopped him but the man presented his papers. One look at the documents told the guard that this man was one from royalty. This man had been given full clearance to explore the prison tower.

The guard would have asked who he was but his question was lost in the noise of protestors from the Grand Plaza. When he turned around, the hooded man had already walked into the prison tower.

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o0o

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The stone walls were rugged and dark. The light from the torches barely reached the prison cells. Every sound made by anyone would certainly be echoed throughout the main hallway. The sound of a swinging door. The sound of footsteps coming closer and louder. The sound of silent sighs from a middle-age man. This was not the place for the happy at heart. This was a place of sadness and grief. It was not a place for Fire Lords.

A hooded man entered the room.

Ozai watched as the man squatted in front of him, beyond the bars.

The man pulled away his hood.

Ozai was surprised. An odd smile grew on his face.

"_Iroh… What a pleasant surprise…_"

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**Earth Kingdom, Northern territory, forest village**

"She's right over here… In this tent…"

The tent was not that far at all. But getting there was the tiresome bit. Dense shrubbery and a lack of pathways almost concealed the tent from plain sight. The plants and trees thickened the deeper they walked into the forest and it made it hard for the group to get through. As Sokka had said earlier, "_It's like swimming in a sea of plants…_"

Khai pulled open the veil of the large tent. The young child told them to hush up. "My mom generally hates other people… But she's really sick right now… We really need your help…"

Katara looked at the young boy. "Didn't you ask for help from anyone in the village? I bet there's an herbalist here."

"There isn't any," said Khai. "So when I heard you guys were in town, I decided to ask the Avatar for help."

The group walked inside the large tent and saw Khai's mother lying under a thick cover of blankets. The woman seemed to be shivering despite the heat of midday. And just like Aang had seen her last time, the lady had cloth placed over her except for the closed eyes and mouth. Only the nose, eyes, and hands were the parts of the mother that showed any skin. Everything else was draped in cloth.

"How does she look?" Sokka asked his sister.

"Not so good," Katara responded. "She looks like she's been sick for a while now."

"But you will be able to heal her, right?" Khai pleaded.

Katara smiled at the little boy. "Yes. I think so."

Katara kneeled beside Khai's mother. Already, there was water coated around her hands. Softly, Katara placed her coated hands on the woman's stomach, feeling the body's chi paths. One contact and the Waterbender noticed already that the woman's chi path was hindered. And like any other healer, the way to heal a person was to stop the hindrance.

Slowly, the water that coated Katara's hands shined a bright blue.

Khai watched intently. His eyes were big and his mood was curious. "What's she doing…?"

Sokka patted the kid on the shoulder. "Don't you worry, kid. My sister's healed more people than you can count. By this time tomorrow, your mom's going to be up and running again."

The little boy scratched the back of his head. "So… What do we do now…?"

"We wait," said Zuko.

Silence followed Zuko's statement. Everyone seemed interested in Katara; as if this was the first time they had seen her heal somebody. The silence held as long as it could. Then, from out of nowhere, Khai began to yawn and stretch. He felt impatient and had the need to _do_ something.

"This is really _nice_…" said Khai slowly. "But let's do something else! What about a game? Are you guys interested in some games?"

"Games?" Sokka asked, unsure.

"Yeah!" Khai cheered. He was overly enthusiastic now. "Oh, the fun we could have together! We could climb trees! We could look at the clouds or go swimming somewhere! I bet none of you guys could beat me in a game of Kuai Ball."

Aang felt odd anger rising from within him. "_You're mother's sick…_" Aang said slowly. "You're mother's sick and you want to play _games_?"

Khai didn't seem to sense Aang's hostility. The boy seemed to be lost in his own imaginings. "Come on! It'll be so much fun!" And the boy ran to Aang and started poking him all over the body with his twitchy, tiny fingers. "Come on, Mister Aang! I know there's still some fun inside you! We could play all day!"

Aang had lost his temper.

"_This is your MOTHER!_" Aang raged. "_Are you just going to go out and play while your mother is SICK?_"

The boy was suddenly stopped. He stared into the furious eyes of the older boy and saw that the friend he had met some time before had changed completely. In that same space, Aang could see tears dwelling in the boy's eyes. Aang was still furious, still angry at this uncaring boy. When Khai had dashed outside the tent, crying, Aang could only look back and watch Katara as she healed.

The entire group was looking at him.

"Way to go, Twinkle-toes," said Toph. "Thanks for spreading your bad mood to the kid…" she said sarcastically.

"But what about his _mother_?" Aang reasoned angrily. "If Khai really cared about his mother, then he wouldn't just fool around. His mother is _dying_."

"He's just a child," Katara soothed. "He doesn't know any better… And children have short attention spans…"

"Yeah," said Sokka. "And what kind of child would want to think of his mother dying?"

"_THE KIND WHO CARES!_" Aang shouted.

And Aang rushed out the tent.

More silence.

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**Fire Nation, Grand Plaza, Prison tower by the crater rim**

"_Iroh… What a pleasant surprise…_"

Iroh didn't seem to listen. Instead, the old man pulled out a small metal container he had concealed in his coat. The container was warm to the touch. Once Iroh placed it down on the floor, he opened it and revealed its contents. Inside was a small sealed vase and two cups.

Iroh turned to the man behind the prison bars.

A goofy smile was on his face.

"_Tea?_" he asked.

Ozai was at a loss for words. He watched as Iroh began unsealing the vase and poured hot tea into each of the two cups. The steam rose and wafted to Ozai's nose. The scent was enchanting. "It's Ginseng tea," said Iroh. "I could have brought some Jasmine, but I felt that this meeting needed something more special—more robust."

Iroh handed one cup to the prisoner. "I hope you like it… I made it myself…"

Ozai scoffed. "Still making tea, I see…?" And the man slowly took the cup. He drank it slowly—like a civilized man. This was a conversation between siblings.

"Oh yes," Iroh smiled warmly. "The tea business is going very well… Have you heard? I have my own tea shop in the Earth Kingdom capital… You should go there some time…"

Ozai didn't finish the tea. He sat up and held the small cup with both hands. "I doubt you're here to talk about tea… _Why_ did you come here?"

Iroh sighed. "Oh, Ozai… You always jump to the important details… When will you stop and just relax for a moment…?"

"Stop your blabbering, brother," Ozai said forcefully. "Why are you here?"

"You mean you don't like the tea?"

"_ANSWER ME!_"

Iroh downed one cup of tea and finished it, relaxing his mind and savoring the tea's flavor. Ozai's anger would not tempt him to spark his own. Iroh was a decent man. But yes, he had a purpose here. It was the same reason that prompted him to go back from Ba Sing Se, cross vast stretches of ocean, and come home.

Iroh placed the cup back in his container. "About the new Avatar… _have you heard…?_"

Ozai smiled. The smile was filled with fangs and razor sharp wit. "Ahhh… You have come home at last… And even now, you astound me, brother… You have guessed it, haven't you…?"

"I thought you had something to do with this…" Iroh said calmly.

"Well, it can't be stopped now," said Ozai with a smile. "No one can stop it now…"

Iroh stared into his brother's eyes. "What have you done, Ozai…?"

Ozai cackled like an old man. "_If only you knew the brilliance of my plan! Even you would have joined me, Iroh! It worked out so perfectly that even I laugh at my own genius!_"

Iroh had deduced correctly. "This was your entire fault. _All of it_…"

Ozai grabbed the bars like a maniac, pushing his face through the slits. "You see these bars, brother? You see them? Do you think they hold me here? Do you think they've stopped me from becoming the ruler of the world? _NO!_ I did the impossible, Iroh! I have won the war within the bars of my own cell!"

Iroh remained silent.

"What is happening now, what continues today is not something I have started after my plan to burn down the Earth Kingdom… It began even before then! I had it all planned out, Iroh! All of it!

"I _knew_ there was a possibility that the Avatar would one day defeat me in my conquest to save the world. The Fire Sages reminded me of such matters the moment he returned… So I had to lay out a plan… It was a plan to be in _my_ favor… It was a plan in which I would succeed…

"By the beginning of summer, it was already clear that the Fire Nation was on the verge of winning the war. In a hundred years, I would be the Fire Lord that would save the world. But there was the slightest chance at the time that somehow, the Avatar was still out there—still alive… So _even_ if I knew I was going to win, I planned a _contingency—_a fall-back plan. In case I would somehow lose and the Avatar was still alive, I needed a way to make sure that the world was still in good hands.

"So it was either me, or the Avatar.

"To secure my victory, the sages thought it best to ask help from the Spirit World. I allowed it and only my closest allies knew of the ritual that had happened that day—the day of the _Summer Solstice_. The solstice aligned our world and the Spirit World and the sages used the ritual to call forth a spirit to aid us."

Iroh took his cup out again and poured more tea. "What spirit did you call out?"

Ozai shrugged. "The Fire Sages had it all planned out, but something went wrong. The spirit they had called out was not the one they had wanted. The spirit that had come out was one who managed to force himself into the world due to great desire and hatred."

Iroh understood. "It was a _mistake_."

"More than that," said Ozai. "It was old Admiral _Zhao_…"

Zhao.

"Zhao appeared that day, during the solstice," said Ozai. "And he had a lot of _talents_ to show for his return.

"So when the day came that Sozin's comet returned and the world's fate would either be in the hands of the Fire Lord or the Avatar, I knew that the world was in good hands whether I would win or lose. I had ordered my daughter, Azula, to be left behind, knowing that, if ever I failed to claim my destiny, she and Zhao would take my place and rise above everyone else… She would be safe in the Fire Nation…

"And Zhao made Azula the Avatar.

"And I had won at last…"

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o0o

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Outside the prison tower, the protests going along the Grand Plaza were going loudly now. The people were screaming wildly. The sounds of fire and the snaps of blasts echoed inside Ozai's cell. The thundering of footsteps shook the ground beneath the prison tower. Dust started to fall from the walls and ceiling. The people shouted as one. "_THE AVATAR MUST RISE! THE AVATAR MUST RISE!_"

"_Can you hear that?_" asked Ozai to his brother. His crooked smile didn't falter. Tears of joy were in his eyes. "Can you hear them, brother? That is the sound of the Fire Nation returning back again… It is such a sweet sound… It is the sound I have lived with the rest of my life…"

Iroh took another sip of tea and calmed his nerves. "I cannot believe that you would allow your own daughter to go through all of this…"

"Azula is strong!" Ozai retorted. "She is stronger than her _brother_! Zuko could not comprehend what I have done! _You_ cannot comprehend what I have done! That's because all of you are _weak! WEAK!_"

"Zuko is a lot stronger than you give him credit for," Iroh remarked. "He is stronger than _you…_"

Ozai cackled again. He tapped his palm on the wrought-iron bars of his cell. "_Oh really?_ Zuko has done nothing to me but shame the name of the royal family! But look at me! Even in my own cell—even _here!_—I have _saved the world! I am still the Phoenix King!_"

Iroh stood up and took Ozai's cup of tea. He looked at his brother who was endowed with brown old rags and had a mop of messy black hair. "Your son and his friends will stop Azula… They will bring the peace back…"

Iroh took one last look at Ozai. "I always thought that everyone could be saved from the pits of hatred and anguish… I realize that I was wrong…"

"My _daughter_ doesn't need saving!" Ozai spat.

"I had always thought Azula had a heart buried deep inside that hard mask she always wears," said Iroh. "She _can _be saved from the same fate that has happened to _us_… But I wasn't talking about _your_ daughter, Ozai… I _wasn't_ talking about her…"

Iroh walked away, leaving the filthy man to rot in his last words.

Ozai scowled and tarnished. He violently shook the bars of his cage. "_COME FACE ME, YOU COWARD! YOU WERE ALWAYS WEAK! WEAK! YOUR COMPASSION FOR OTHERS HAS MADE YOU WEAK! COME FACE ME NOW! YOU HAVE ALWAYS RUN AWAY FROM ME, IROH! I AM NOTHING BUT A PRISONER NOW! I HAVE LOST MY FIREBENDING AND YET YOU DO NOT WISH TO FACE ME! YOU ARE A COWARD!_"

Iroh turned around before closing the door. "What more could I do to my own brother—a man who is already in prison… Where _else_ will I place you…?"

And Iroh slowly shut the prison door.

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**Earth Kingdom, Northern territory, forest village (evening)**

Sokka passed through the thickets of plants, carrying rolls of beddings and tent cloth. Once Sokka entered the clearing, he saw the group gathered around a large bonfire with logs placed around it. Katara and Toph were warming their hands and feat. Aang was still angry and glum. Khai kept poking him happily despite Aang's clear annoyance. Appa and Momo were sleeping right next to the fire. Zuko was nowhere to be seen.

Sokka placed down his sleeping bag. "Where's Zuko?"

Katara pointed to the tent that had Khai's mother. "It's Zuko's turn to watch over her. Khai's mother is getting better and by morning, she should be wide awake."

"But I doubt Zuko's watching," said Toph. "From what I can hear, he's sleeping…"

"It's okay," said Katara. "If something bad really happens, I bet Zuko would be wide awake. It's fine. Let Zuko sleep."

Sokka spread the sleeping bag across the floor. When he was done with this chore, he turned to Aang. The Airbender had a hand on his chin and a very sullen expression. He seemed detached from the ongoing poking from Khai. The younger boy was happily determined to wake Aang up from his sadness.

"How are you holding up, Aang?" Sokka asked.

"Cheer up, Twinkle-toes," Toph laughed, amused. "Pretty soon, you'll have so many holes on your body that Khai won't have any place to poke you on."

"_How can I cheer up?_" Aang wailed. His hands and arms were raised into the air.

Toph rolled her eyes. "_Here we go again…_"

"_How can I cheer up?_" Aang repeated. "_Everyday, it's the same old problem! Azula's still out there! She's learning all the four elements! And every time we visit an Air temple, it gets destroyed!_"

Sokka nodded at Aang. "Calm down, Aang—"

"_I can't calm down! Look at me! Look at me! You're staring at the last Airbender in the WHOLE world!_" Aang shouted. "_You guys don't know how it feels to be so alone! You people aren't the last of __**anything**__! It's just me!—just little Aang! And you guys have no idea of the effects on being the last Airbender! Who's going to teach the next Avatar Airbending? Not me, that's for sure! I'll probably be dead the moment the next Avatar is born! And lastly—WOULD YOU STOP POKING ME!!_"

Khai stopped and stared at Aang. He had a "poking-finger" hanging in the air.

"_What is WRONG with you? Your own mother is sick and you're SO happy!_" Aang shouted. He spat his words right in Khai's face."_You don't care about your mother at ALL! You'd rather have fun then help your mom—!_"

"Aang!" Katara shouted. "That's enough!"

"_Come on!_" Aang taunted. He imitated Khai's cheerful voice and began to dance around the fire. "_Let's go play 'climb-the-tree' while mommy isn't feeling so good! Weeee! We'll have so much fun 'cause I'm an irresponsible, UNCARING __**CHILD**__!!_"

And Khai started to cry.

"Great!" Toph sighed. "_Just_ great…"

"That's _enough_, Aang!" Katara scolded. She approached Khai with open arms. "Come here… Let me wipe your tears…"

But Khai ran away from Katara before she could hug him. The little boy ran into the dark forest, his cries stretching on into the night.

"Look what you just did, Aang," Sokka spoke. "You just _had_ to spread your moody feeling to the poor kid…"

"_And he deserved it!_" Aang shouted back. "I mean, what kind of kid would be _playful_ when things are becoming so _wrong?_ What kind of child would be so _immature_ and so _childish _in really bad situations_?_"

Silence.

Katara tapped her chin with her finger. "_Oh…_I could think of _someone…_"

Sokka sighed again and pointed to the woods. "You better go get him, Aang… The forest is no place for a crying little boy… And besides, it's your fault why Khai's crying. It's your responsibility to get him back."

Aang stood up like an old man with heavy problems. He grabbed his staff from the ground and snarled. "_Fine…_"

Katara, Sokka, and Toph watched as Aang left the campfire and lost himself in the woods. The moment Aang had left was the same moment Appa awoke from his sleep and started making loud noises. The Sky Bison searched the trees and the ground, moaning in quick succession. Its large nose began to flare.

"What's wrong, Appa?" Sokka asked. "Can you smell something?"

The Sky Bison sniffed some more.

Sokka turned to Toph. "Can you feel anything, Toph? Is something coming for us?"

Toph shook her head. "Nope. Nothing other than us for a couple of meters in all directions."

Sokka rubbed his chin. That could mean two things: either there was nothing really coming for them and Appa was just overreacting or Toph couldn't detect the "_something_" because the person was probably on water or in the air.

.

.

.

"_WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE SHE IS?" Zuko snapped wildly. He grabbed the metal bars and shook them like some crazed animal. "HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW WHERE SHE IS?"_

_Ozai laughed at Zuko's desperation. Seeing Zuko wild with desperation seemed so funny at the moment. For that instant, Ozai felt like he was still the Fire Lord and Zuko was that little boy in the arena, pleading that his father should spare his life. Those were happy memories. "I banished her, Zuko… Ursa went away… I seem to remember telling you that I did not know if she was alive or not…"_

"_But you must have known where she went!" Zuko raged. "You were the one who banished her!"_

_Ozai laughed as he watched Zuko's expressions. "Awww… Is the new Fire Lord going to cry…?"_

"_Tell me where she is!" Zuko shouted. "Tell me where she is or I'll—"_

"_You'll what?" Ozai laughed. "Hurt me? End me? I'm powerless… If you're really the man I never thought you to be, then you're going to strike me down—right here, right now… Remember, I took your mother away… I gave you your mark… Hold your ground, Zuko! Strike me down like you know you should!"_

_Zuko's anger flushed out and his grip on the metal bars were released. He stood up and looked at his father. "I am nothing like you…"_

"_STRIKE ME DOWN, ZUKO! SHOW TO ME THAT YOU ARE A MAN!"_

_Zuko stood up and turned away. "What more could I do to you…? Where __**else**__ will I place you…?"_

.

.

.

**Earth Kingdom, Northern territory, forest village**

Zuko woke up again, gasping for air. Again, he was drenched in sweat. He couldn't shut his eyes anymore without having bad dreams. Every time he would fall asleep, he would find himself in front of his father's cell, grasping the cold bars and crying out for his mother. Even until now, Zuko still wondered what would happen if he beat the answer out of his father's mouth instead of walking away like that.

Good news.

That's all he ever needed right now. All he needed was some good news and a good night's sleep. Zuko sighed. What he'd give to have Mai right here. She always found a way to make him smile despite the fact that her jokes were usually bad news on his part.

_If only Mai was here…_

"_Uhhh…_"

Zuko turned to the woman who was sleeping beside him. Khai's mother looked pained and troubled. Zuko realized that he wasn't the only one getting a night's worth of decent sleep. She seemed to be moaning, talking in as she dreamed. She talked about Khai—or more specifically, her son.

Zuko sighed. Seeing this woman longing for her son only made Zuko sadder. He wondered how his own mother would be suffering without him.

Zuko tried again to go to sleep, but Khai's mother kept mumbling throughout the night. Zuko had no choice but to stay awake and listen to her saddening dreams.

.

o0o

.

"KHAI! KHAI! I'm sorry, okay? I didn't _really_ mean what I said!" Aang apologized. But his words fell on dead leaves and naked branches. The dark sky made Aang feel lonelier than ever and it didn't help whenever he'd see his shadow walking all alone on some dirt path.

"_KHAI!_"

There was still no answer.

"_Khai!_"

Aang walked forward, moving once again through the thick forest. The dead tree branches kept getting in his way and he felt like he was being poked all over. The lights of the campfire disappeared already to be replaced by the solitary light of a crescent moon.

Up ahead, Aang saw another clearing and decided to go there and get his bearings. Once he was out of the forest, he saw a vast valley with hundreds of candle lights in the distance. There must be a village somewhere up ahead. Maybe Khai had gone there. Aang took a step towards the village.

Aang almost fell.

He noticed immediately that when he took a step, his right foot landed on nothing. Aang immediately lost footing and fell into the one thing Aang did not see due to the dark night—a cliff. Quickly, Aang breathed hard and pushed air out of his palms. He was back up on the ledge, breathing hard and deep. He had almost died right there.

Then, there was a rustle in the leaves.

"_Khai!_"

More leaf rustling.

"_Khai…?_"

There was a horrible feeling in the pit of Aang's stomach. By the sounds of the leaf rustling, Aang could tell that something _big_ was coming for him. Aang felt trapped. The sound was coming in front and he had a cliff right behind him. Where else would he go? And who or what was going to attack him?

A wild animal?

That air-taker person?

Azula?

Aang cursed beneath his breath. He already knew who it was. There was no doubt about. She always showed up in the wrong moments and she never stopped trying to fight them. Aang would _love_ to fight Azula… He just wished he wasn't crammed in this tight spot.

More leaf rustling.

"_Azula!_"

That's when the sound-maker showed itself.

Aang smiled and laughed when he saw who it was.

"_Appa!_"

.

o0o

.

The Sky Bison wasn't walking beneath the trees. Appa was in the air, hovering above the canopy of dead leaves. As it moved forward, the Sky Bison's feet touched the dead branches and made the tree leaves rustle. Its large tail flapped up and down in the air. Appa seemed to stare at Aang for the longest time. Under the light of the moon, Appa appeared to be a little menacing.

Aang laughed and pointed to the Bison. "You scared me for a minute there, buddy! For a second, I thought you were Azula or some other thing—like that mysterious air-taker guy! You should _never_ sneak up on me like that!"

Appa moaned loudly.

And then, Appa started attacking Aang.

The large Sky Bison barreled down on Aang like a falling tree trunk. Its large body cast a large shadow that took the place of the moon. What Aang thought was actually going to be a hug was actually Appa's tail swinging up and then down. A blast of wind knocked Aang off the ledge and down the ravine.

With quick thinking, Aang kicked himself back up the ledge and onto solid ground.

"_Appa? What's wrong? Appa! It's me!_"

Appa didn't pay heed to Aang's cries. The huge beast seemed determined to blast Aang down the cliff-side. The Sky Bison tried once again to attack Aang—this time with a forceful breath from its mouth. Aang formed a dome of air around him that averted the opposing air away. And all this time, as Appa attacked, the Sky Bison did not set foot on the ground. Appa chose to fight while floating a few meters from the soil.

"Appa! Stop this!"

Appa did not stop. It continued blowing as it floated over the ground. Aang had no choice but to jump onto the trees and run away. But Appa grabbed Aang with one of its feet. The creature slammed Aang's body back to the ground like a doll. Aang cried out in pain, but it didn't stop there.

Slowly, Appa inched closer to Aang, floating only inches from his very body. If the creature was to slam down on Aang, the little boy would have no time to feel the pain as his bones would be crushed by Appa's immense weight.

Appa floated over Aang. Its huge tail flapped slowly, creating odd lines on the ground.

"Appa! What are you _doing?_"

Appa knocked the air out of Aang's lungs by pressing one of its large feet on his chest. Aang couldn't move or free himself from Appa's huge feet. He didn't understand how this was happening. Maybe this was all a bad dream and he would wake up sweating when he did.

That's when Aang started noticing things.

The way the fur was arranged… The way the horns was a lot shorter… the way the arrow seemed smaller… The way the eyes seemed larger… Appa seemed to have changed drastically from what Aang remembered. But then, it hit him—

"_You're not Appa—!_"

Aang's words were cut short when the Sky Bison opened its mouth and began sucking the air out of his very lungs.

.

.

.

_Dark bedrooms…_

_A boy—half-awake, half-asleep…_

_A mother shaking him to listen…_

_The very same mother with a sad face… She is wearing a coat, planning to leave after all the things she had done… The boy is rubbing his eyes, trying to listen to her final words… She looks sadly on the boy—her son, hoping that this last impression would be in his mind forever… She hoped that somehow this would not be the last time they would meet..._

_Zuko drifted from consciousness to sleep…_

"_Zuko…don't forget who you are…"_

_Mom!_

"_Don't…who…Zuko…are…"_

Mom!

_Don't forget who you are…_

"Mom!"

Ursa wakes up immediately, startled from her horrible dreams. Her sickness has weakened her, but at last, she is awake. She finds herself inside a dark tent—the very tent she had kept with Khai. Her surroundings are familiar. She remembers sleeping here before she had been diseased. The only thing that wasn't familiar was this horrible looking boy with a scar on his right eye. The boy seemed to be crying.

But the thing that startled her most was not his rousing.

The boy had surprisingly called her "_Mom_".

.

o0o

.

As Aang was dying, he couldn't help but be amazed at the skill of this Sky Bison. All this time, as it attacked Aang, the creature never touched the ground. It just floated around in the air with one hand pressed over Aang's chest. But the air-sucking was horribly painful. The creature could bend air that was _inside_ his body and force it out. Aang tried clamping his mouth and lips shut, but the creature's abilities were far more powerful than his own.

Aang hated to die now.

It just wasn't the right time.

And as if someone had been listening, a voice beckoned out to them.

"_UMMI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STOP THAT!_"

Aang recognized the childish voice and the inflections. That voice did not come from some unknown man. It came from a child. It was Khai. And even as Aang lay down on the ground, he could hear Khai's footsteps coming closer and closer. Finally, Khai was right beside them. Aang could see that the boy was looking straight into the eyes of the sucking Sky Bison.

"_Stop it, Ummi! Stop it! He's a friend!_"

The Sky Bison seemed to hesitate on this action. But it was clear to Aang that the Bison was stopping. He could feel himself breathing again. His pale white face was getting all its color back. When the Sky Bison finally stopped, Aang was breathing rapidly, replenishing his body of air.

Khai smiled at Aang. "_Okay… He's a JERKY friend—but he's still a friend…_"

Aang looked up at Khai, realizing that there were still some things he hadn't fixed yet. "I-I'm sorry…"

Khai shrugged with a childish air. "It's okay… I know you weren't in the mood earlier… I just thought we'd have some fun like before…" The child turned to the large Sky Bison. "And _you!_ _I told you not to come near us until the coast was clear! How many times have I also told you to stop attacking people?_"

Aang stared at the Sky Bison. Its large teeth still seemed to be aimed at Aang. The Sky Bison still looked like it was going to attack him.

Khai rubbed its fur and smiled at Aang. "Sorry about that… Ummi's not really _this_ aggressive… She's just defensive around me and my mom… You should see her when she picks flowers… That's if we could find a field of flowers with no people…"

Aang was surprised. "_She?_"

Khai laughed. "Oh, yeah… Ummi's a _girl_…"

.

o0o

.

"Can you hear that?" Toph sat up, suddenly awake.

Katara and Sokka were instantly up from their sleep. Although they did look groggy, they were at least happy to be awake. Zuko wasn't the only one suffering from nightmares. Toph's arousal was a good wake-up call. "_What is it?_" they both asked in unison. "_What's going on…?_"

Toph pointed to the tent that held Khai's mother. "There are other noises coming from the tent… Khai's mom is awake… And she's talking to Zuko…"

Sokka snorted. "She must be really bored then… And that scar on his face should give her a couple of nightmares…"

Katara grabbed Sokka's arm and pulled him up. "Come on! Let's go see what's happening…"

.

o0o

.

Khai planted his face in the Sky Bison's fur and squealed with delight. The little boy was having so much fun with the large creature that it almost seemed so surreal that the same beast had been attacking Aang moments before. Khai played in its fur and threw clumps of it high into the air—enjoying the sight of the furry confetti dancing in the wind.

Aang was still admiring the Sky Bison. "_It's another Sky Bison…_" he spoke as he circled around it.

The Sky Bison in question snarled at Aang.

Aang jumped back, afraid.

Khai patted its furry head. "It's okay, Ummi… He's a _good_ friend…"

Aang seemed out of words. The connection between the child and the Sky Bison was pretty strong if she would respond to his commands so easily. It could be similar to the relationship Aang had with Appa. How remarkable.

"_Where…_ Where did Ummi come from…?" Aang asked.

Khai patted his chest. "She came with me!" he said joyfully.

Aang decided to change the question. "Where did you _get_ her…?"

Khai's joyful attitude seemed to be sidetracked by sudden memories from his past. Aang could tell that a story was coming. Khai sank onto Ummi's fur and began his tale.

"I found Ummi two years ago. There was a Fire Nation attack on our village along the western side of the Earth Kingdom. Our family ran away from our village to look for shelter… Everyone around us was dying…

"Then, we found our new home in this odd forest where the mist is always there. There was this large door on the ground and my brother found a way to open it somehow.

"When we got in, we were surprised to find this vast underground place filled with paintings and statues. My dad said the place belonged to Air Nomads. He said that they were also killed by the Fire Nation… But the most important thing we found in the underground place was _food…_"

Both Aang and Khai laughed.

Khai smiled and continued. "But we weren't the only ones down there. Aside from us, there were _dozens_ of Sky Bisons…"

Aang's eyes opened wide and his mouth foamed. "_Dozens…?_"

Khai nodded. "Dozens. But dad said that they were monsters. And dad was right because the Sky Bisons would eat _other_ Sky Bisons. We saw it with our own eyes. It was horrible, I can tell you. When the Fire Nation began marching into the forest with the mists, we had no choice but to stay underground. My family… well… In a few days, the Sky Bisons attacked us… They would chew them and spit them out… Most of our family tried to kill them all… My brother was the bravest one… By the time the fighting had ended, almost _all_ the Sky Bisons were dead…

"Except Ummi…

"Ummi was different. She was the only one who didn't want to eat the other Sky Bisons… She protected me from the others and my mom said to stay by Ummi all the time even after they were gone…" Khai wiped a tear from his eyes and patted Ummi. The Sky Bison groaned. "The day came when me and Ummi were the last two people inside the underground place… I mostly spent my time reading the scrolls there... There were a lot of stuff about Waterbending, Earthbending, etc... That's how I learned how to fight..."

Aang patted Ummi's head. Ummi growled, but Aang continued patting. He wouldn't stop until he struck a decent partnership with the Sky Bison.

"But then, my _new_ mom came," said Khai with a smile. "She was also hiding from the Fire Nation and she found the underground place just like our family did. Ummi liked her instantly and Ummi protected her too… My new mom kept telling me not to leave until the war was over…

"When the war was finally over, my mom thought it was safe to come out…"

Khai patted Ummi's soft head. He looked angry for a moment. "But there was this old man who saw us. He thought we were some kind of monster. I was riding on Ummi's head at that time and he kept threatening me with this sharp spear of his… He kept calling me some crazy '_Arrow Man_'... Ummi had no choice but to attack… She tried her best not to kill him… But Ummi's very protective of me… She…uh… you know…"

Aang nodded. Finally, things were making sense. "And what about my friend…? Katara was attacked too…"

Khai looked at Ummi with an angry stare. "Did _you_ attack Katara…?"

Ummi groaned apologetically. It gave Khai the whole "innocent" act—with the wobbly lip and the big bright eyes. Even Aang couldn't be angry with that look. Khai was instantly taken.

Khai hugged her playfully. "It's okay! I forgive you!"

.

o0o

.

Katara, Toph, and Sokka quietly crept towards the tent. Already, from outside, the trio could hear cries and laughs. It was _odd_ hearing Zuko laugh. He almost sounded like his age! There were shouts and laughs and the occasional squeal coming from Khai's mother. The trio couldn't wait any longer. Quickly, they pulled open the tent's curtain. What they saw would change their lives forever.

Khai's mother was hugging Zuko with tears in her eyes.

Zuko saw the three by the opening. He spoke with mirth, joy, sadness, and relief. He spoke and sobered.

"_Guys… I want you to meet my mom…_"

Katara, Toph, and Sokka were dumbstruck.

Then slowly, they too joined in the hug. They too laughed and cried with the reunited family. They couldn't help it. They were beaten everywhere and every way. But somehow, sadness could not claim their souls. Love found a way. And even though that statement is utterly out of taste due to it being too 'touchy-feely', it should be repeated again.

_Love found a way…_

Katara, Toph, and Sokka were lost in the moment.

Hope flooded that small dark tent that night. Katara, Toph, and Sokka pressed themselves in that little hug, tightening, embracing, mingling, crying, laughing, and longing to see a real mother out there—something they had forgotten for a long, long time.

_A real mother…_

That's all they ever hoped for.

.

o0o

.

By the time everyone had gathered back together around that small campfire, there was an exchanging of stories. The group would cry again and laugh again. Zuko would spend his longest time with his mother and he would hug Khai like an older brother. The gang was introduced to Ummi and they accepted her easily. Even Appa took favor on her (and that's saying something). Sokka found it the right moment to share some campfire stories that night, despite no one really getting scared. It was the perfect night. It was a lovely night.

When the group had finally slept, they all had a little smile at the edge of their lips.

And they slept peacefully.

No bad dreams whatsoever.

.

.

.

.

.

_After all I put the group through—the trials, the losses, the shortcomings, the failures—it felt just right to finish this chapter. This chapter is a reminder that good things happen to the gang too._

_This chapter also serves as a connection to the earlier chapter: "Misconceptions". I hope all of you found this chapter interesting because I know I did… It's one of my favorite chapters yet._

_Some few things to point out._

_There were three things revealed in this chapter: Zhao's origin, Ursa, and the mystery "Airbender". One reason why I like this chapter is because the first confrontation was with Iroh and Ozai—something I've always wanted to see in the series but never did._

_And the female Sky Bison, Ummi…well, her name's actually from the Avatar Universe. It's actually the name of Avatar Kuruk's wife. I just couldn't think of any other name. Sorry for that. And it's pronounced "Uuuuu-meee". And if you've never seen a Sky Bison suck air before, watch "Appa's Lost Days". You'll see it there._

_And Ummi attacked Katara because at the time, she thought Katara was one of the bandits that were attacking Khai during that chapter. (Just thought I'd explain that…)_

_The revelation I'm not so confident about is Ursa. I've always thought she'd be protecting the last Airbender or something. But this one is totally different. You could say "it happened because it's fanfiction". But I hope I revealed it fairly well._

_Oh, and one more thing. The second Sky Bison was sort of my "loophole". It isn't really a loophole, but you get what I'm saying…_

_There's more to come. Hope you guys won't stop reading just because all the things have been revealed already. And if you're lucky… there might be other Airbenders…_

_Oh, and sorry blu3mage for not including Climate Control on the last chapter. The technique sounds too powerful for one kid. Maybe the Avatar, but right now, Aang is just one Airbender. Thanks for the idea though._

_R & R_

_Kojab8890_


	19. Chapter 19: The Monster

It continues...

_Author's Note: __I was able to create this story with some ideas I had thought of when I was thinking about the Avatar universe. There were some scenes that I wished would come out and I've decided to add it here. Hope this is good and hope you enjoy the read. I just hope I can hand out the goods. The hiatus was cut short as I decided on the next nine chapters, but still, things would go quite slow. Updates will be posted whenever I can post or whenever I finish my story. Now, let's begin with the other half of Book Air._

_Disclaimer: I own no part of Avatar, the Last Airbender. But this story and this plot is entirely of my own creation. Any similarities to the official Avatar plotline are mere coincidences or are used for necessary events in the story. The same goes with the characters and settings._

Book 4

_Air_

Chapter nineteen:

The Monster

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.

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**Earth Kingdom, Ba Sing Se, Upper Ring, Grand Palace****, Ruins of old Ba Sing Se**

"It may seem simple at first glance, but unlike the other techniques which require you to move earth away from you or in a certain direction; this technique requires you to move earth onto your body. To cover yourself in earth, you must be steady—earth doesn't surround itself on weak bodies—unless, of course, it's going to kill it."

Long Feng laughed at his own joke. That itself made the joke less funny.

"Place your hand on the cavern wall," Long Feng continued. "Earth has many properties. Some stones are magnetic. By endowing that property on yourself, you can scale walls, run on ceilings, and cover yourself on earth. This makes an Earthbender highly versatile and adaptive if one learns it right… Now, let's see if you can get it done on a first try."

Azula placed her hand on the cavern wall and concentrated on her position. Slowly, she watched as small stones started to stick onto her skin. More stones collected over her hand until it looked like her hand had grown four sizes too big.

Long Feng clapped slowly. "Very good. Not only a Firebending prodigy, but an Earthbending prodigy as well. And the technique you learned now has many uses. Most Earthbenders cover themselves with earth to act as armor. Imagine…_a suit of earth_. While other Earthbenders bend the earth around them, you have just made the ultimate earthen weapon—_yourself._"

Azula straitened her palm and aimed at the wall. Her giant earth glove shot out and barraged the wall, causing a light tremor. Azula smiled at the effect. "These earth gloves… Is this what made the Dai Li so powerful?"

"The Dai Li were powerful because they acted as one—with one mind-set. But the earth on their hands did help. Take an Earthbender away from the earth and the Earthbender can't bend. Take a Dai Li agent away from the earth and you'll still be fighting for your life," said Long Feng with a smile. He then took out a large sandwich and took one large bite.

It was a delicious sandwich.

Azula started walking away. "I think I'm done with my lessons today."

"I agree," said Long Feng. "In fact, you've finished everything a traditional Dai Li agent ever needed to learn in four days. I'm impressed."

"Stop patronizing me," said Azula calmly. "Remember, you're only alive because I need an Earthbending teacher."

Long Feng sighed. "Such hostility… What really bothers me is that you chose me as your teacher. Why did you come to me?"

Azula laughed slightly. She turned around to face the man. "I can see a rat when I see one. There you are, lying around in your cell—moping away your lost chances of power. But no rat ever stops looking for food. You are still starving for power and I can see it clearly like an open book. The moment I rescued you from prison, I knew at once you would grab the chance for some of _my_ power.

"But a rat is _still_ a rat."

Long Feng stopped walking and closed his eyes. He sighed. He may have hated Princess Azula to an extent, but no matter how hard he thought about it, the little Fire Princess was always right.

And then, "_WHERE DID MY SANDWICH GO?_"

.

o0o

.

Zhao met Azula a little further on the tunnel. "_So…? How was Earthbending training with your old friend?_"

"I'm finished with Earthbending," said Azula promptly.

Zhao nodded with a smile. "_Ah… Another element mastered… And this time, there has been no interference with your brother and his friends… He must be having a hard time to look for you in the Earth Kingdom… And have you heard…? There is turmoil in the Fire Nation… Some say that by later this day, Zuko will fall from his throne…_"

And Zhao laughed because he found it funny.

"You sound like we've already won," said Azula. "Brash men like you don't see further than your achievements. But there is still much to do. I have mastered Firebending, Waterbending, and Earthbending, but I have only scratched the surface of Airbending. I am not yet the Avatar."

Zhao smiled. "_Then we will get you to the next air temple, don't worry… The nearest one to Ba Sing Se is the Eastern Air Temple. And since Zuko and his friends have no idea where we are, he has no idea what air temple we could go to. Once we're done with this place, you can go back to mastering Airbending and you'll be the Avatar. Everything's going to be fine._"

"Nothing's ever going to be fine," Azula said. She seemed angry but her voice was level. "I'm going out for a walk."

Zhao watched Azula walk away. As he did so, Zhao couldn't help but wonder about Azula. She wasn't like anyone he had ever known. Azula was entirely closed to herself. She was cold, cruel, and heartless. She didn't seem like the type who could actually smile due to happiness.

So Zhao decided to go for the impossible.

He would (if he could) find out if Azula had something no one expected her to have.

Zhao would see if Azula still had some humanity left inside her.

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.

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**Fire Nation, Grand Plaza**

The capital city of the Fire Nation was slowly being torn apart.

Fire Nation citizens and patrons were tearing down buildings, houses, and monuments to show that they were not going to stand along with the Royal family. The Royal family was now on shaky ground. By midday, if none of the Royal family announced that they would join the Avatar, then the palace would be brought down. The rebellion had escalated into a full-scale revolution.

There was nothing like this ever seen in Fire Nation history.

Earlier that day, when the sun had not yet rose, the people had come together carrying spears, hammers, and anything they could carry. Their first act of business was to tear down the entrance/exit gate that allowed anyone in and out of the city. It had been easy and the guards were too tired from sleep to even try to fight back. Now, no one could in and out of the capital without climbing the rim of the volcano.

By the time the sun had risen, the guards were dispatched. They formed a large blockade in front of the royal palace. These were the largest group of people and the _last_ line of defense the royal family had against the attack of the rebels.

The patrons and generals who had been living inside the palace were already at doubt. They knew that the soldiers mounted at the gate would not hold against the surge of civilians once they chose to barrage the gate by midday. Others had already left the palace to seek shelter elsewhere.

Mai and General Shinu were organizing the palace patrons in the lower level of the palace. The bunker had already been fixed since its last attack. If the guards outside would fall during midday, they would seek shelter here.

But things were already falling apart.

By sunrise, the only buildings left standing in the capital were the palace and the prison tower.

.

o0o

.

"I don't see how they could get inside," said General Shinu. "It's impossible. The palace gates alone are 15 feet high. The locks are _inside_ and monitored constantly by the guards. The citizens wouldn't manage to break through the iron gates even with pitchforks and fire blasts. And besides, even if they impossibly broke through the walls, our line of guards would finish them off instantly."

"I don't think the guards will like killing ordinary people," said Mai. "Let's just hope that the citizens won't have to break the walls… How about the bunker? Is it prepared?"

"We've stocked enough food in there to last an entire group of people for two months," General Shinu answered. "Also, I've asked a few officers to stay with us in case they manage to get through the door."

Out of nowhere, Iroh appeared and stood in between them.

"Are you sure it's best to stay in the palace?" asked Iroh seriously.

Mai turned to the wizened old man. "What are you suggesting?"

"Sometimes," Iroh said, "It is best to leave."

"We can't leave," said General Shinu. "The Fire Nation still needs people to lead them and without the Fire Lord right now, we have no choice but to stay behind and hold the palace until he returns."

Iroh pointed outside. "The people here are no longer willing to accept leadership. They can no longer stand to reason. They will not stop until the palace burns to the ground."

Mai shook her head. "These are still people. They can change. I still have hope for them."

Iroh nodded. "Very well… I must be going now…"

Mai was concerned. "Where will you go?"

Iroh smiled and started to walk away. "To the kitchen! I hear there is roast beef being cooked right now!"

General Shinu scratched his head. "But after that…?"

Iroh turned around so no one could see into his eyes. "After a beautiful meal, I expect to be a hundred kilometers away from home as possible. The Fire Nation will fall today. I refuse to see that."

"Have you lost hope on the Fire Nation?" asked Mai.

"No," said Iroh quickly. "But I will not redeem it today. Now is not the time. Right now, I need to flee."

Mai and General Shinu exchanged looks.

.

.

.

**Earth Kingdom, Ba Sing Se, ****Middle Ring**

Azula was a monster.

That was the only way to describe Azula. It was the conclusion anyone would come to upon first impressions. Her physical appearance mimicked that of a savage animal. Her short hair was no longer tidy and straightened. Her skin was pale and her teeth always clicked. Her eyes were wide but her pupils were small. She always managed a growl here and there. Her fingernails were razor sharp now. And her mismatch of clothing could have given anyone sore eyes.

But as Zhao thought about it, he realized that it had been exactly this hideous picture that had led them into the city of Ba Sing Se. The capital was still accepting refugees throughout the whole Earth Kingdom. The Earth King was a lot more lenient with the people. The more desperate the refugee looked, the better the accommodations for the refugee. Azula's appearance alone allowed her a decent room in a house at the upper edge of the middle ring.

That didn't make it easy for Azula though.

Azula, through most of her life, had been living everything in royalty. Treasured by her father and adored by the rest of the Fire Nation royals, Azula practically had her life handed to her. There was always food on her plate and servants would respond immediately to every of her beck and call. Even in her journeys outside the Fire Nation, Azula was given the finest ships and the firmest of followers. Azula had everything.

Now, Azula had to carry her own weight.

Azula was constantly annoyed by the fact that she had to cook her own food, fix her own clothes, wash her own dishes, etc. Zhao didn't seem to notice her troubles because he didn't require any maintenance at all. But Azula was constantly suffering.

Zhao watched Azula as she walked down a small marketplace. She seemed to be clutching her stomach and her face had a very sour expression.

_She seems to be hungry…_ Zhao thought. _I thought the cold chowder in the inn would suffice for a breakfast… Maybe she didn't want chowder… Maybe she wanted some other cold dish… Whatever it is, I've never seen Azula look this pathetic in front of food…_

Azula moved away from the food stall before she made a scene in front of the locals. She and Zhao agreed not to attract further attention in this city. They were here _only_ to learn how to Earthbend. If the Earth King found out that they were here, they might not make it out of the gates.

_Where is she going…?_ Zhao thought as he watched Azula disappear in a dark alley.

Lately, Zhao had his own set of plans that allowed him to disappear from time to time. This gave Azula moments of freedom after her Earthbending studies. And when Zhao would go off, Azula would go to the surface and spend some time with the locals. But Zhao never really knew what Azula was doing on the surface. He didn't know how Azula got food without any money.

He would have to find out.

Zhao followed Azula into the alley, making sure she was not aware of him. Azula kept moving on and on. Zhao could already hear distant rumbling and the sounds of grunts and smacks. Either there a group of people that were deliberately throwing rocks at each other or a group of people were doing some Earthbending. Whatever it was, it sounded very dangerous and Azula was heading towards them.

Finally, Azula walked into a concealed open lot in the middle of some boarded up houses. There were kids here and they were about Azula's age. They were playing a rough game of Earthbending Soccer. One of the boys had noticed her walk in and they greeted her.

Zhao rubbed his chin. _She came here to play…_

If Azula had come here to play with these people, then that settled it—Azula still had some humanity left inside her. _She could still enjoy things._ Entertainment was fundamental to the human psych. That's why kids laugh when they play around.

But something still didn't seem right.

Zhao listened as one of the boys conversed with Azula. He had this victorious smile on his face. Azula didn't seem intimidated. She kept her plain looking face.

"Up for another rematch, I suppose?" asked the boy who had walked up to Azula. "You didn't fare well last time."

Azula rubbed her elbow. "I have some new techniques."

The boy laughed. "It's going to take more than an awful lot of 'new techniques' to beat me and my team. If you want to play, you'll have to shoulder in something worth playing for."

Azula reached into her pocket and pulled out a sandwich.

"It's already been bitten," said the boy as he inspected the meal. "That's not going to earn you much."

Azula rolled her eyes. "Stop delaying. What do you have to offer for me?"

The boy shoved a pointing finger over his shoulder. "The boys were able to steal some roast chicken from this windowpane. Are you up for it? If you win, you get to keep the roast chicken in exchange for the sandwich. One game. Is that a deal?"

Azula nodded.

The boy laughed as if he had already won. "I _seriously_ hope you can go another day without eating."

Zhao finally understood. _Azula is playing for food… She is not playing for entertainment or fun… She is playing to survive… This may be human, but it is mostly instinct—the very edge of human ambition… Human instinct is basic and is in everyone… It is not a sign of humanity…_

With that conclusion in mind, Zhao realized that he had _not yet_ found anything to show for Azula's humanity. He would have to keep looking.

.

o0o

.

Azula steadied herself, staying in front of her team. But Azula didn't seem to care much about her team at all. She was only concerned with herself and if she could win from a simple game. Zhao noticed that the players that were in Azula's team didn't seem to mind if they would win or lose. Some others even looked annoyed that Azula had come back to play.

The game began.

The opposing team kicked the ball. The lead kicker turned it to someone who was running on the side. With a strong push, the lead kicker sent it to the side. The player to catch it was ready.

But Azula was faster.

Azula slid her foot sole on the ground, raising a large ramp in front of the catching player. The ball moved into the ramp and slid sideward—towards her. Azula launched the ball into the air the moment it had reached a few feet from her. She then back-flipped and used her heel to forcefully send the ball back in the other direction—towards the goalpost.

The goalie saw the ball coming and raised a large wall of earth to block the ball from coming in. The lead kicker instantly moved towards his goalpost to get the ball the moment it was diverted away.

But something happened that they did not expect.

The ball broke _right through_ the wall of earth and into the goalpost.

Azula placed her hands on her hips and smiled at the lead kicker. "I'll want my roast chicken now."

.

.

.

**Fire Nation, Grand Plaza, Royal Palace**

"I'm telling you," repeated General Shinu as they walked into the lower chambers of the volcano—towards the bunker. "They have _no way_ in."

Mai, Ty Lee, Suki, the Kyoshi warriors, and the rest of the palace patrons were securing the lower chambers of the building. The Kyoshi warriors were helping along with the evacuation as the chaos outside ensued. There was a lot of screaming and crying. Some royal patrons were hugging onto their most prized possessions as they fled to the lower chambers.

"It's either your life or your clothes," said one Kyoshi warriors to a woman dragging along her entire wardrobe.

The pompous woman snubbed the young warrior. "I'd _rather_ die in my finest gowns then _live_ naked!"

General Shinu was still conversing with Mai and Suki. "None of the citizens outside the palace know a way in aside from the main entrance. And it's going to take a lot more than some fire blasts to take down three iron gates. Plus, there are soldiers waiting for them on the other side."

Suki scratched her head. "You've concentrated all the guards behind the entrance?"

"Yes," said General Shinu.

Mai sighed. "Well that was pretty _stupid_…"

General Shinu raised his hands in the air. "How can they _possibly_ get in? There's no other way through the main entrance even by force!"

Suki rubbed her chin. "General Shinu is right…"

"See!" said the general to Mai. "Even your friend knows that—!"

"And that worries me…" Suki continued. "You say that the gates can't be opened from the _outside_—you said that it was physically impossible… Don't you think the citizens should _know_ that…? What bothers me is that the citizens already know that."

"You're saying that all of what they're doing is a form of distraction," said Mai.

Suki nodded and then turned to General Shinu. "Are there other ways into the palace?"

General Shinu thought about it. "There are underground sewers—_but_ _the general public knows nothing of them!_ Only the most trusted people knew of the palace's layout. No commoner knows of these things! They won't even know where to look!"

"Are there any of these 'trusted people' outside?" asked Mai.

General Shinu pointed to the bunker. "Everyone's _here!_ All the patrons are here! The only patron that isn't here is Fire Lord Zuko!"

It hit Mai the same time it hit Suki. The two girls looked at each other, exchanging glances. Ty Lee noticed their stares. "Is this _one of those_ staring contests? _Can I join?_"

Mai and Suki realized that someone else was not inside the palace.

"_Oh no…_" they breathed.

.

.

.

**Earth Kingdom, Ba Sing Se, Middle Ring**

Zhao watched as Azula savagely tore that roast chicken apart. It didn't even look funny. Her other teammates would not even go near her as she ripped through the chicken's flesh. The young girl had accepted savagery. Azula was a monster. Her actions were seriously forcing people away like they would to a horrible stench. The way she tore through her food—it could make anyone's stomach turn.

Zhao began to seriously rethink this observing business. It was not right to watch Azula as she did her own things in her free time. Maybe it was time to go. After all, he did have his own errands to carry out.

But what kept Zhao going on was curiosity.

His day would be made if he could actually find some morality in this young girl. He would watch until he could catch something—_that is_, before midday. By midday, he had places to go to. So if Azula would show some signs of humanity, she better show it soon.

Something was happening.

"_Who told you kids you could play in our little spot?_"

The sly voice had come from a menacing looking boy in black ragged clothing. His lower jaw jutted forward and three of his lower teeth were seen overlapping his upper lip. His right cheek seemed slightly burned. The large boy seemed to carry an assortment of objects—some daggers, a knife, and a small metal bar. And beside him were two of the nastiest looking bodyguards anyone had ever seen.

The boy Azula talked to earlier stepped forward and stomped his feet on the ground, lifting three small but sharp rocks into the air. The rocks stayed steady. "This isn't your territory, Jai Ren!" shouted the boy. "Get out before me and my team kick you out! Get back to the lower ring if you know what's good for you!"

At the saying of these words, a couple more players jumped in defense, creating large earthen weapons with heavy movements.

The nasty-looking boy just smiled. "Do you think you're safe behind your little team? It's going to take a lot more than some rocks to scare me, _runt_." The boy smiled and pulled out a little torch. He lit the tip and smiled. "As you all know, the Shrike gang is expanding its territory. And we're going to need this territory too… And whatever the Shrike gang says… _goes_…"

"Get out of here, Jai Ren!" said the lead boy. "Get out now!"

The nasty-looking boy, also known as Jai Ren, stared at the line of little Earthbenders. He stared at the floating pieces of rocks that should be thrust at him if ever he shouldn't comply. "Earth, huh?" said the boy with a smile. Jai Ren then shook his head. "What a _weak_ element… Are you really going to fight me using a bunch of _pebbles_…?"

Jai Ren then lifted the torch into the air. "But _fire!_ Fire is the _superior _element! And since you have come across Shrike territory _without_ permission, I'm afraid I can't let you guys go without getting a little burned."

The lead boy had enough of his attitude.

"_Attack him!_"

Jai Ren sneered. He turned to his two bodyguards. "_Smoke them!_"

The team players launched their rocks at the three intruders.

Jai Ren and his buddies threw some smoke bombs onto the ground. When the rocks started flying to the smoke, there was no "oofs" or "ahs". When the smoke had disappeared, no one was there or lying on the ground. Jai Ren and his cronies had disappeared in the smoke.

_**PAK!**_

_**PA-PAK!**_

_**PAK! PAK!**_

All around the team were sudden sparks and explosions. These sudden explosions would send everyone into chaos and they would go off running down the dark alleyways. Jai Ren had appeared on the roof and used his lit torch to start a large fire at the open lot. The children began to flee from the fire and others were covering their mouths and noses as the smoke breached into their nostrils. The smell attacked their senses.

All except for Azula who was quietly chewing her piece of roast chicken.

"Everyone get of out of here!" shouted the lead team player. "The Shrike gang is _crazy!_"

.

o0o

.

On the southern side of the middle ring, Long Feng had come up from a subterranean passageway and breathed the fresh air. The seedy old man had changed drastically from his time in prison. The darkening chambers only made him hunger for the light outside. It made him realize that the world was beautiful after all.

Long Feng, after he had been freed by Azula, had decided to become a new man—even though he was teaching the little girl. He decided not to tie his long bundle of hair. He cut a good measure of it, signifying that he had removed himself from his old life. He had grown a larger moustache too. If any of his old cronies spotted him, they would find him unfamiliar at all.

Long Feng went to a large clearing carrying a jug and some wooden boards. The people noticed him and bowed in respect. They had smiles too. Long Feng liked that. He really liked that.

"Good day sir," said a Middle-classman.

"Oh yes," said Long Feng in return. "Nice day…"

When Long Feng reached his spot, he started setting up. With some nails and a little bit of Earthbending, Long Feng made a small booth with the wooden boards. He placed his jug down and pulled a large bowl and a ladle from his clothing. And with some paint he had brought along, Long Feng painted a sign on his little stall.

The sign said: HOT SOUP.

Long Feng poured some of his hot soup from his jug into the bowl. Everything was set and he was ready to sell. He even had the custom documents to prove that he could sell here.

So all Long Feng had to do now was smile and wait for any customers who'd like to buy some soup.

.

o0o

.

Zhao watched from the roofs. Jai Ren had driven all of the kids away and burned down the lot in the process. And with some red paint he had brought along, the boy painted a really colorful sign that said: _SHRIKE_. Jai Ren laughed when he had finished his task. This was all in the day's work for the Shrike gang.

"I burned them good didn't I?" asked Jai Ren to his cronies.

The two bodyguards just nodded like they were supposed to.

"And they think their earth could match my torch! Ha! What saps! What idiots! What—_what is that…? Who's making that 'munching' noise…?_"

The three turned around and saw the little savage girl finishing her roast chicken. She didn't even seem to notice them. Nor did she seem to notice that a fight had ensued in this very lot. What she seemed to be concerned of was her meal and how the meal was already reduced to nothing but beautiful white marrow.

Jai Ren tried the "kind" act first. "Excuse me, ma'am…? I'm afraid that this is Shrike territory… There's a penalty for crossing an area like this, miss… If you don't leave now, you might have to face…_all of them…_"

Azula licked a piece of bone.

"Are you even listening to _me?_" Jai Ren shouted. "I don't think _you_ want to be tortured! I'm afraid we have no choice now but to hurt you!" Jai Ren turned to his bodyguards. "Take her away! Make sure she receives the two Shrike fire punishments for trespassing!"

At this point in time, Zhao turned all his attention to Azula. He could see her face cringe, her eyebrows furrow. She looked far angrier than Jai Ren. Zhao could see her knuckles crack and her lips fold.

This was a defining moment.

Azula's humanity would be determined by her reaction to Jai Ren's promise for torture. Human instinct told a person to fight back in these cases and since Azula was the Avatar, she would be tempted to show to this pompous boy that she was more than enough to drive his face to the ground. That would be the normal way to do it. That was what Zhao expected _anyone_ to do.

But Azula wasn't just _anybody_…

There was another way Azula could respond.

If Azula had her mind over her instincts, she would think another way. Since Azula was the Avatar, she might not afford trying to fight back right now. If word got out that the Avatar was in Ba Sing Se, Azula might be facing off an entire army. Sure, there were faithful supporters of the Avatar here and there, but Ba Sing Se's king was rational enough to know that Azula was a monster. Azula might not want to risk that.

Azula might want to choose torture to keep her identity.

Her humanity would depend on her decision.

"_Well…?_" said Jai Ren. "It's too late for you to run off now. I'm afraid you'll have to be punished!"

And Jai Ren grabbed Azula by the hand and pulled her down the alley. Azula didn't seem bothered that she was being dragged. She just stared out of her eyes. She seemed to be disembodied and she couldn't feel any sense of coming danger. She _let_ herself be dragged off by this nasty boy.

Why?

Because Azula didn't want to endanger herself.

Because Azula didn't want anyone to know that she was the Avatar for now.

Because Azula could handle all the pain this boy could dish out.

Because Azula was a monster.

.

o0o

.

"Here in the Shrike gang, everything is done by fire," said Jai Ren. He was speaking directly to Azula as they tied her hands and feet to a chair. Azula had her head to the side. "Even torture is done by fire," continued Jai Ren. "Fire is dramatic, poetic, beautiful, and deadly. You can say that the Shrike gang worships fire. And even if I am an Earthbender, I like the fact that fire moves on its own and that it devours everything in its path."

Azula didn't seem to be listening.

"And when we torture with fire, we try our best not to kill anybody," said Jai Ren with a polite enough smile. "All we're trying to do here is send a message—to never trespass in new Shrike territory. We don't want to kill anyone. But if you don't cooperate, there could be an unfortunate accident. There could be a slip-up and you can end up being badly hurt, so when I tell you to do something, make sure you follow. Okay?"

Azula nodded.

"Very good. Now, like I said, we use fire to do our torturing. And we use fire on two parts of the body—the parts that affect a person most: the mouth and the eyes. The mouth is the one that speaks back against us. And since you chose to stay, you are silently telling us that you _chose_ to disobey. The eyes are the ones that oversee the whole thing and since you never listened to them, that means they are also speaking against us.

"_But fire can cleanse all those impurities in a hurry…_"

Jai Ren laughed.

"NOW…BRING OUT THE FIRE—!"

Jai Ren turned around. "_Where's the fire?_" he whispered.

The first crony shrugged innocently. "I think I left it, sir…"

Jai Ren rubbed his forehead and sighed. "How many _times_ do I have to _tell you _people? Bring the fire all the time!" He sighed again. "We'll have to try another approach… Do you have a match…?"

The second crony raised a hand and jumped up and down. "_I do! I do!_"

Jai Ren smiled at the second crony. "You should listen to this guy more… At least he can bring some fire with us…"

Jai Ren lit the match and set a small bonfire. The fire grew into a large orange bulb with the heat that could melt the rocks on the ground and scorch everything else. Glowing cinders were flying away from it. Azula seemed entranced by the flames as it danced around in her eyes.

"_First!_" shouted Jai Ren. He was announcing to no one but Azula and his cronies. But Jai Ren seemed to be announcing to an entire crowd. "_First, the cleansing of the tongue—so no one can speak against us!_"

And Jai Ren pulled out a blackened rusty knife.

"_Behold! The ceremonial burning knife!_"

Jai Ren handed the knife to his first crony. The crony placed it a little above the fire. While this was taking place Jai Ren spoke to Azula. "For this part of the ceremony, you are to stick your tongue out for thirty seconds. My good friend will hold your tongue with his hand to help you. But if you pull your tongue back in _before_ ten seconds, expect a swift demise. _Is that understood…?_"

Azula raised a brow. "What are you going to do with my tongue?"

Jai Ren smiled. "You'll see."

Finally, the first crony took out the knife from the flame. The air around the knife was all distorted by the heat coming off from the blade. The heat was so strong that the crony had to hold the knife with a wet towel.

And the crony handed the hot knife to Jai Ren.

Jai Ren smiled at Azula. "Stick your tongue out."

Zhao was amazed when Azula _actually_ followed him. That pink little flesh stuck out of her lips the moment she had been ordered. The second crony held the tip with two strong fingers. Azula didn't even show fear. Azula was perfectly still, waiting for the pain to come.

Slowly, Jai Ren placed the hot metal on her tongue.

.

o0o

.

Long Feng hadn't moved since he had set up his little stand. He still had the odd smile on his face and those that did see his little stand would be curious enough to ask. But Long Feng did wipe his face often to remove the sweat. It was a hot day and the sun beat down on his large forehead.

A kid walked up the stand.

"Would you like some hot soup?" asked Long Feng kindly.

"No," said the boy with a cheerful smile. "I just wanted to see what was here."

Long Feng smiled. "That's nice."

And the kid walked away.

Long Feng was once again alone. And he continued to stand by his hot soup stand. His face still had that plastic smile and everyone who saw it could laugh. But no one seemed to notice Long Feng. The people just passed by his small little stand and continued on with their lives. Long Feng was left smiling and smiling. His hot soup was getting cold.

.

o0o

.

Zhao was surprised that Azula didn't just faint right on the spot. The girl had a lot of nerve if she could stay awake. Even though Zhao was dead, he knew pain when he saw it. He could _tell_ that was extremely painful. The odd thing was that Azula was not screaming or struggling. Azula just sat with her hands tied. She just let Jai Ren torture her.

Jai Ren wasn't cutting Azula's tongue off.

He was doing something much worse.

With slow motions, Jai Ren moved his wrist back and forth. The hot knife was moving back and forth on Azula's tongue…slowly…excruciating…burning… The sensation was like jam being spread onto a piece of bread. But this was a knife on a tongue. The sharp edge of the blade seemed to be scraping a few pieces of flesh. There was no bleeding though. The tongue just blackened.

Azula's reactions were impossible.

Azula didn't flinch, didn't cry. Azula just held her tongue out and she didn't even resist pulling it back in. Jai Ren even wondered why Azula would not close her eyes, why no gasps or screams were coming out of her mouth. Her only reactions were a tightening of fists and a slight shaking.

That should not be possible.

Azula was not human at all.

Zhao understood that now.

.

o0o

.

Jai Ren placed the knife away and allowed Azula a moment of rest. He then pulled a small bar of metal—something as thick as a paintbrush. Jai Ren handed it to his first crony. "_The next to come is the cleansing of the eyes—so that no one can see evil!_"

The first crony pulled out a clamp from his pocket and used it to hold the metal. Carefully, the crony placed the bar of metal into the fire.

Jai Ren turned to Azula again. "_Remember, you are NOT to move when I tell you not to! For this part, you are to hold your eye open for ten seconds—only one eye. My crony will help you keep your eye open. When that is done, the fire will have cleansed you and you can be free to go. But make one mistake and you're dead!_"

Jai Ren pointed to the burn mark on his cheek. "See this burn mark…? This is what happened when I disobeyed. But they let me live. I bet you haven't seen anything more gruesome than this burn mark before!"

Azula smiled. She recalled her brother. The thought made her laugh.

Then, the first crony took the hot metal bar out of the fire. The metal bar had turned orange now and it gave off its own light. The bar of metal wasn't given a chance to cool down. The crony handed the clamp to Jai Ren and he moved towards Azula.

"_OPEN YOUR EYE!_"

Azula closed her left eye and kept the other open.

And slowly, Jai Ren placed the bar of metal inches from her eye.

.

o0o

.

Zhao expected her to scream, to shut her eyes. He expected her to choose death rather than suffer such torture. That was what any person would choose. That's what he would have done if he was still alive and he had to suffer such torture. Death was better than pain. Azula's agony could make anyone scream.

The hot metal bar was barely an inch from her right eye. The heat could burn off the delicate membrane. It could cause immediate blindness. The pain would burn her more than anything else imaginable. Even if the metal wasn't touching her eyes, the orange glow coming off from it could kill her instantly.

But Azula did not die.

Azula was shaking all over, her body thrumming like a tank being brought to life. Her breathing was horrible and raspy. She desperately tried to control the pain in her body. She desperately tried not to gasp or scream. Imagine a little girl having her right eye burned off, tied to a chair, shaking like a beast, and her breathing was violent.

Azula should have died.

Azula should have closed her eyes and accepted death.

Zhao knew that Jai Ren was a horrible and monstrous kid. But Azula accepted the agony and torture all because she had to keep her identity. Zhao knew she was strong, but this is unbelievable. Azula could place her body into a state of suffering and come out of it unscathed.

Jai Ren was monstrous—but his victim was the monster.

When the burning metal bar had been taken away from her eyes, Azula shut both her eyes and dropped her head. She didn't cry, didn't sob. She was silent and vulnerable. She didn't _do_ anything.

Jai Ren and his cronies laughed at her.

And they walked away.

Zhao desperately wanted to help Azula, but he was also afraid of her. Azula should have attacked Jai Ren. That was basic instinct! But submitting to torture was something less of a human—something no one could possible reach! And Azula was the Avatar! She could have defended herself! She should have knocked Jai Ren to the ground. But Azula didn't.

Azula didn't even cry in pain.

All humans cry when they feel pain.

But Azula didn't cry.

Azula wasn't human at all.

.

o0o

.

Zhao realized immediately that he was running late. Looking at the sun, Zhao realized that it was midday and he had duties to attend to. Zhao thought about helping Azula, but he had to get back to work. Azula could fend for herself.

So Zhao disappeared.

.

o0o

.

Azula opened her eyes.

She had entered the Avatar state.

.

.

.

**Fire Nation, Grand Plaza, Prison tower by the crater rim**

Zhao appeared in front a large prison cell with some keys in his hand. He entered it easily and found himself staring at the old Fire Lord Ozai. "_Are you ready to go…?_"

Ozai stood up and smiled. "It's time I took back my throne."

Zhao inserted one of the keys into the slot. He turned the small piece of metal and the door swung open. Ozai stepped out like a new man. He turned to Zhao and smiled. "Thank you for the rescue."

Zhao nodded. "_You're welcome. But right now, the people are rioting outside the palace. I've given them information about the drainage pipes that lead into the palace courtyard… Are you ready to lead them…?_"

"Of course," said Ozai, without a doubt.

"_Then you will have your throne by the end of the day_," said Zhao.

Ozai stepped out of the prison cell. He was ready to go out, but was stopped by a thought. He turned around to Zhao and asked: "How is my daughter doing? Is she safe?"

"_She's doing fine… She's everything we've hoped for… Nothing can break her… Azula is even immovable to pain and torture… She had become exactly as we predicted. She will be perfect to rule as Avatar…_"

Ozai smiled and walked out.

"Very good."

.

.

.

**Earth Kingdom, Ba Sing Se, Middle Ring**

Ba Sing Se was broken instantly.

Azula came for Jai Ren and his cronies first. With her two palms, Azula buried them under the rubble of what used to be two large houses. Jai Ren had no time to run. He had little time to see the girl with glowing eyes coming after him. No one knew of his predicament after the attack.

When this was done, some royal guards came across the scene and started attacking Azula. This was another wrong move that caused a chain of events that would lead to the destruction of Ba Sing Se. Azula in the Avatar State, attacked the royal guards.

But more of the guards kept coming and Azula kept forcing them down.

Now, the citizens began to fight back, not because they could win, but because they had to protect themselves—that was human nature. Azula attacked them all, using their very houses as weapons. She buried the people in their own houses, lifting them from the ground and forcing them out.

But more tried to take Azula down.

It had come to Azula that the entire city of Ba Sing Se was attacking her. And since the Avatar was being threatened, the city of Ba Sing Se had to fall.

Azula molded a large dome of air around her as a shield. She started to make her run out of the city, tearing down any structure or person that stood in her path. When the large wall that separated the middle ring and lower ring came into view, Azula stopped moving and landed on the ground.

Then, she slammed her fist onto the hard earthen structure.

A large portion of the wall cracked and suddenly turned into nothing but sand.

The guards on the wall instantly fell.

Azula continued her rampage.

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o0o

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Long Feng could hear the explosions in the distance, but he remained in place. He concentrated on selling. The people all around him seemed to be running, but he didn't mind. He was just worried that his soup might spoil. Nobody liked spoiled soup. And Long Feng wasn't going to eat soup if it spoiled.

So Long Feng kept his smiley face.

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o0o

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The houses in the lower ring fared the worst from Azula's barrage. The houses that were immediately in front of her were blown apart but the thrashing winds of Azula's air sphere. People were still throwing things at her but no one could hit her or pin her down. More Royal Earth Kingdom guards came to attack her. But Azula buried them under a pile of earthen houses.

When Azula came to the wall that separated the lower ring and the Agrarian Zone, she too turned a large portion of it into dust.

The farmers in the agrarian zone could only flee from Azula's rampage.

Upon reaching the outer wall, Azula reached out with her hand, grabbed a a large chunk of the wall, lifted it up with all her strength, and threw it onto the royal guards that were still chasing her. The wall collapsed onto them and Azula was able to make her escape out the city and into the greater pastures, east of the Earth Kingdom capital.

If one could have looked at the scene from above, they would have seen this small anomaly moving eastward and creating a straight line of devastation as it broke through the many walls of Ba Sing Se, starting from the middle ring and going outward. This single effect left Ba Sing Se in ruins. And all of it had happened within the timeframe of a few seconds.

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**Fire Nation, Grand Plaza, Royal Palace, Courtyard**

The Courtyard of the Royal Palace has seen its fair share of great events. This was the place Azulon was set to rest in eternal sleep, where Ozai had been crowned Fire Lord, where Zuko and Azula had their Agni Kai, and where Zuko himself was crowned Fire Lord. Now, another event was going to happen—the first invasion _inside_ the palace.

Surrounding the courtyard were underground sewers that channeled clean water throughout the palace. Katara had once used this water to freeze Azula in a block of ice and chain her to a grate. Now, it was going to be used as a means of entrance. The Royal guards at the front of the gate would not know that the enemy had slipped in.

Like an unforeseen event, the grates of one of the sewers began to slide open. Some of the citizens outside had climbed out of these sewers and up the grates. They did this quietly and they started to move.

Without much effort, the citizens had pinned the royal guards at the front.

The last one to climb out of the sewers was Ozai and he stared longingly at his palace. "_It's good to be home…_"

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o0o

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Zhao and Ozai were walking together. They were heading for the royal throne room. The other citizens had been ordered to search the palace for the other patrons and take them as prisoners. The lower chambers and the bunker were being checked at that very moment. No one was going to go under the watchful eye of Zhao.

Ozai entered the throne room. "I see they haven't touched much."

"_Zuko chose not to stay long in the throne room…_" spoke Zhao. "_He believed that he couldn't run his nation just sitting on a pillow for day and night…_"

Ozai laughed. "It shows of what little the boy knows about leadership."

Zhao nodded. "_Everything's in order, then?_"

Ozai nodded. "But I must know more about Azula? How far has she gotten in her training?"

"_Her Waterbending and Earthbending trainings are finished. All we need now is to move to the Eastern Air Temple and gather enough scrolls for her to master Airbending. Once she's done with that, she will be taught to master the Avatar State at a safe location…_"

Ozai nodded. "Then I must help. The moment I regain control of the military, I will send a number of airships to the Eastern Air Temple to guard her from those who choose to take her away."

Zhao nodded. "_But she will be fine… My contact in the Earth Kingdom has gathered some followers… They've allowed us to take their boats so we can head for the Eastern Air Temple… Hopefully, we can get there before her brother and his friends do…_"

Then suddenly, a Fire Nation citizen walked into the throne room and bowed before Ozai. "I'm sorry my liege… But the lower chambers and the bunker are empty. The royal patrons have escaped…"

Ozai was more than surprised.

"_WHAT?_"

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o0o

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Outside the palace, beyond the crater rim, the royal patrons were moving down the slope of the volcano, hoping that they had given themselves enough time for escape. Suki and Mai had finally deduced that Ozai had been in charge of all of this and the citizens would free him to gain secret access to the palace. Once they were a good distance away from the crater rim, General Shinu spoke with them.

"We've cleared far enough," said the general.

Suki nodded. "We have to get everyone to safety."

General Shinu shook his head. "I and the other Kyoshi warriors will be in charge of that. The three of you must find Fire Lord Zuko and meet with him somewhere. Send a message his way."

"What will we tell Zuko?" asked Ty Lee.

General Shinu sighed. "Tell him that his father has come back."

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**Earth Kingdom, area east to Ba Sing Se's boundary**

It should be noted that by the end of the day, both the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom capital had fallen (But the latter by mistake).

Ozai had recaptured the palace of the Fire Nation and had regained control of the Fire Nation's massive army. In Ba Sing Se, the city citizens had pressured the Earth King to side by the Avatar or the great capital could fall into worse straits. The current Earth King had to flee from his battered country for a safer location, choosing not to make a decision for his people. Current knowledge of his destination is towards the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu.

Ozai's plan had come together at last.

It wasn't his plan originally. It was the plan of his grandfather, Fire Lord Sozin—where the Fire Lord and the Avatar would join forces to do _anything…_ Finally, his grandfather's plan had come true and the world was almost in their control. Only two free cities were left—Omashu and the Southern Water Tribe.

And all because of the Avatar.

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o0o

.

Azula's eyes stopped glowing and she instantly fell to the ground.

And she started crying.

She was crying because one of her eyes was badly burned.

She was crying because her tongue was devastatingly sore.

"_HELP!_" Azula cried.

"_HELP!_"

But no one would come to Azula's rescue.

It should be realized by now that there were three types of madmen playing this tale. Azula is one of those madmen, a clear and vivid representation of how dark a person's mind could get and how rotten the soul could fold. But there were more and they took all sorts of shapes and sizes. They were as revolutionary as the heroes of any legend and they were just as epic as our intrepid heroes. Our ideas of villains are _wrong_. No _real_ villain would cackle in front of a mirror. They don't believe themselves the "_bad guys_".

Villains and madmen are a complex group of people.

Our first type of villain is the egomaniac. The egomaniac thinks him or herself on the top of the world and the world revolves around him or her. They have the resources and therefore, they have the will. A concrete example of this is Zhao—a man with more titles than a very well-written playwright. During his life, Zhao searched for the Avatar, not for honor, but for pride and glory. This is a villain whose eyes glitter at the sign of a sparkly piece of gold.

The next type of villain is the megalomaniac. This is the villain with the idea. A megalomaniac has a fundamental drive to change the world according to his or her standing, to unite the world as one. Ozai and his forefathers chose to unite the world under one rule and one ideal. They are not "bad" due to the stereotypical sense. They are bad because the only way they can convey that idea is through will and force. The megalomaniac can drive the world. They choose control over glory.

And then, we have Azula.

"_HELP!_" came her cry. Her head shook violently and her breath was nothing more than sudden bursts and gasps. Her fingernails could tear through her palms as she clenched tightly on her fists.

Many could say Azula was born to rule—to control. Azula could easily fall under the megalomaniac category. But there was a major difference: megalomaniacs aren't _born_. It is the ideas that shape a megalomaniac. But Azula was already born with the drive for world domination and she didn't care how ruthless she had to be just to get her goals. Everything became personal to her—a ruthless but charismatic controller at the age of fourteen. No one had known anything like it. No one would believe it when they saw it.

Azula wasn't human.

Azula was a monster.

"_HELP ME!_" Azula cried as it started to rain. The rain was like ice—too cold for her to stand. She couldn't take the pain now. Her tears rushed out in torrents, blending with the droplets of rain. Her body shook again and again. The rain beat mercilessly on her body—and her soul.

"_MOMMY!_"

Zhao was right to say that they had the perfect weapon. Give a megalomaniac, like Ozai, all the power in the world, and he was still a flawed man. Ozai was beaten by the Avatar at the time because he was too caught up in his own ideals. But give Azula all that power and give her time to rest her mind—to clear her thoughts of things to come—and she could triumph against everything.

Zhao had observed right.

Azula was the perfect weapon.

Azula had skipped her childhood and matured early on. Azula had learned Firebending at an early age. Azula had all the power in the world now. She could force herself to endure all forms of torture and come out without a scratch. Azula was bred to rule the world. Azula was _a monster_!

"_MOMMY! MO…MO…MMMMYYYY…_"

And yet…

Here was Azula, left cold in the rain, her eye badly burnt but healable, her tongue blackened and scarred. Azula was crying, allowing herself to be involved in all her emotions and shortcomings. If any traveler happened to pass by her, they would not see a monster, they would see a refugee, wounded and hurt, crying violently in the rain and shouting for her mother.

And isn't that exactly human?

"_Mommmmmeeeeeeee…_"

All humans feel pain at some point and Zhao had not stayed long enough to see Azula go past that point. It is human nature to cry. It is human nature to feel pain. It is human nature to feel angry and lost. It is all human nature.

After all, wouldn't _any_ child, after being badly hurt, _cry for his or her mother?_

Azula was not a monster.

She was something a lot more similar to her father, to Zuko, to Long Feng, and even to Aang. Come up to her and anyone would know one thing for sure.

Azula was human.

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.

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**Earth Kingdom, Ba Sing Se, Middle Ring**

Long Feng looked up into the sky and cursed when one of the droplets of rain hit his eyes. The rain pattered onto his bowl of now cold and spoiled soup. The people who had been walking outside were now rushing indoors to get some cover. Long Feng just kept smiling.

But finally, he stared at his soup.

In one moment of sheer brilliance, Long Feng stared to the heavens and screamed, "_THIS IS STUPID!_"

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_I'm sorry this took long to post. Writing a chapter about Azula was hard. I had to make a lot of research on Azula's nature and the nature as her position as villain. It was painstaking and I hope I got the drama and conclusion right._

_With this done, I'm happy to say that the story has ONE MORE chapter left before the finale! Woohoo! I'm very excited about it and about writing it down. Hopefully, you guys are just excited about it too._

_Also, since the last chapter for the final half of this book is coming, I would like you to remember that the second avatar Fanfiction discussion panel is next. It'll explain everything that has happened and the reasons why I decided to write this way. It'll even give a timeline and back story for Khai and Ursa. I'll also be telling you readers my problems with the story so far._

_I'm also giving out a sort of "trailer" for my four or five-part finale._

_The next chapter to come is entitled, "Race to the East" and there'll be some surprises—both in the dramatic and episodic sense. It's thrilling and chilling and the action scenes will probably be a lot crazier than I can imagine. It'll be a significant end point for this half of the story._

_And since I posted this chapter quite late, I'll do you the favor by telling you right now that I promise to post the next chapter in 2 to 4 days._

_R & R_


	20. Chapter 20: Race to the East

It continues...

_Author's Note: __I was able to create this story with some ideas I had thought of when I was thinking about the Avatar universe. There were some scenes that I wished would come out and I've decided to add it here. Hope this is good and hope you enjoy the read. I just hope I can hand out the goods. The hiatus was cut short as I decided on the next nine chapters, but still, things would go quite slow. Updates will be posted whenever I can post or whenever I finish my story. Now, let's begin with the other half of Book Air._

_Disclaimer: I own no part of Avatar, the Last Airbender. But this story and this plot is entirely of my own creation. Any similarities to the official Avatar plotline are mere coincidences or are used for necessary events in the story. The same goes with the characters and settings._

Book 4

_Air_

Chapter twenty:

Race to the East

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**Earth Kingdom, Chameleon Bay**

Two messenger hawks were flying a few feet above the water. The bay below them looked like a wonderful nesting spot, but their internal homing beacon told them they were still a few meters away from their landing point. One messenger hawk came from the east while the other from the south. The southern messenger hawk had a message that told its reader to come home. The eastern one had news about a lost home.

And the two birds would converge on one spot.

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o0o

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"_We have no time for this! I have to capture the Avatar!_" Zuko shouted.

Ursa reached out and pinched Zuko's cheek really hard. She smiled kindly at him and said, "Are you always this angry?"

Katara, Toph, Khai, and Sokka laughed.

Ursa was holding Zuko's arm up, and with a bar of soap, she started scrubbing through his underarms. The soap suds were dropping onto the sand and on Zuko's feet. Zuko tried pulling away from his mother's tender grasp, but somehow, he couldn't resist being held by his mother. Zuko was embarrassed to say that he liked his mother washing him.

"_Awww…_" said Sokka teasingly. "_Does 'Kissy-kissy' Zuko want to be bathed by his mommy…?_"

Zuko's cheeks went red and he turned to his mom. "_Mommmm…._ I can bathe myself!—and I've been taught all my life to bathe _away from my friends!_"

Ursa pointed at a small scratch under Zuko's arm. "But look at that mark! It's horrible!" said Zuko's mom as she took out a sponge. "Just give me a second and I'll wipe it away."

Zuko smiled at the tenderness of the moment. "Thank you…"

And then, Zuko could see Katara and Toph trying to stifle a snigger.

So Zuko pretended he was embarrassed.

"I mean… _Thank you, but no thank you…!_ I can clean myself! _I_ am a man!"

Ursa grabbed Zuko's cheek and pinched it. "Oh, I know that… It's just been so long, you know…? I hope you can forgive your mother because I know that you'll always be my _little Zuko_…"

That brought another fit of laughter.

Sokka stopped laughing and started rolling his sleeping bag. "I don't want to interrupt all this lovey-dovey stuff, but we're running out of time as it is. We _know_ Azula's heading for the Eastern Air Temple. After all, she was reported to have destroyed Ba Sing Se. If we hurry, we could still cut her off to the Eastern Air Temple."

Ursa's eyes were downcast. "About Azula… I'm still not sure what I should think of my own daughter… I _have_ heard stories of how she captured Ba Sing Se months ago… But from what you've told me, I don't think I can relate with her anymore…"

"Azula's changed," said Zuko. "She's become sadistic and cold over the years."

Ursa sighed. "But I'm sure you're all exaggerating this. Azula can't have changed much… And if she did, I bet it's because of her father… Maybe, somewhere, _deep inside_, Azula still has a child's heart…"

Sokka snorted. "_Yeah. _She keeps it in her _pocket…_"

Zuko sighed. "She's very dangerous, mom. It's best that right now, you and Khai ride on Ummi and find shelter while me and my friends take her down. We're not sure how she would react when she'd see you and I can't risk losing you again."

Ursa looked at Zuko. "If she's so dangerous, then why must I put my _own_ son in danger?" she said, slightly distressed.

"I'm stronger then I used to be," said Zuko.

Zuko's mom sighed. "I can't put _you_ in any danger. I still can't believe you've been throwing yourself into danger most of your life." As Ursa said this, she placed a motherly hand on Zuko's scar. "I also can't imagine the pain you must have gone through without me… I'm so sorry I had to leave, Zuko… I _had_ to protect you… I _had_ to keep you alive…"

Zuko felt tears coming up in his eyes again. "Without you, everything went downhill for me… If it wasn't for uncle, I don't think I would be the same person being bathed by my mother right now… I would be something like Azula…"

Ursa softly used her thumb to rub Zuko's scar. "It must have hurt…"

Zuko closed his eyes. He closed his scarred eye.

"More than you can imagine…"

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o0o

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Katara turned to Sokka. "Where's Aang?"

Sokka thumbed a direction over his shoulder. "He's with Ummi."

Katara turned away from the group and headed for Ummi. Katara still couldn't see him, but that was probably because Aang was standing by her head and Ummi's back was facing Katara. The girl turned over the large animal and caught Aang brushing Ummi's fur coat. His eyes were unreadable but his mouth showed solitude. Aang seemed to be bearing a lot of weight on his shoulders.

"Hey…" Katara said as she approached.

Aang turned to Katara and held up a small smile. "Hey."

Katara looked at her feet as she held her hands behind her. "So… What were you thinking…?"

Aang turned back to Ummi. "I was just thinking about Ummi… I haven't seen another Sky Bison for a long time. It's just given me hope… Even when there were rumors going around that some Airbender was killing people—that too gave me hope that someone out there was still alive… It changes a lot of things…"

Katara smiled. "Of course it changes a lot of things… It changes everything—!"

"But it doesn't change _my_ situation," said Aang as his smile turned into a frown. "I'm _still_ the last Airbender. And since we know Azula's heading for the Eastern Air Temple, we can assume that temple's about to be destroyed too. Everything that's left of the Air nomads is being destroyed bit by bit. Even if Azula doesn't master Airbending, she's already won."

Katara took both of Aang's hands and held them between each other. "She hasn't won Aang. Not yet. The Air nomads and their temples may be getting destroyed, but that doesn't mean their power isn't getting stronger. With every destroyed temple, a new sense of power flows into _you_, Aang. Never forget that Azula can still be defeated and you hold the key."

Aang smiled.

The two leaned in to share a kiss.

"_Ewww! Gross!_"

Aang and Katara stopped midway when they noticed that Khai had been watching from atop Ummi's saddle with Momo perched on his shoulder. The two released each other's hands and blushed furiously. They smiled at Khai and scratched their necks.

"There's nothing to see here, Khai," said Katara with a smile.

Khai pointed an accusing finger at the both of them. "_I'm telling on you! _I can't believe you guys would kiss each other!—totally _gross_! I am now scarred for life!"

Aang and Katara laughed together.

That's when they heard the squawks.

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o0o

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Khai, Katara, and Aang rushed back to the group when they found two messenger hawks perched on Zuko's arm. Zuko had already taken one of the messages out of the hawk's carrier case. The hawks were making annoying squawks and screeches.

"So what does it say?" asked Toph.

Zuko read the letter first, making sure he had understood the message. When he was done, he let his hand rest by his side and he closed his eyes. "There was a revolution in the capital. My father got out of prison and took back the palace. The people in the palace got out safely, but my father has complete control of the Fire Nation again. It's signed from Mai."

Everyone just stared at Zuko, unable to think about the situation.

But Zuko's mom was rather blunt.

"_Who's Mai?_"

When that was said, Zuko scratched his neck and blushed again. "She's…uh…my girlfriend…"

"A _girlfriend!_" Ursa shouted, rather abruptly. "But you're too young to have a girlfriend! You're still sixteen, Zuko…"

"_Mom_…" Zuko drawled. "I'm a _man_ now…"

"What does the other message say?" asked Toph.

Zuko pulled it out of its casing and read it once. When he was through, he handed it to Sokka. "Here. I think you should read this…"

"Is it that bad?" asked Sokka nervously and took the parchment. With a large eye, Sokka scanned the parchment and despite his earlier criticism, there was a small smile on his face. Katara caught the smile as good news and waited for Sokka to speak. He turned to his sister.

"It's from dad," said Sokka.

"Really…?" Katara asked with excitement.

"Well, it's not really a 'good news-bad news' kind of thing. Dad just wants us to come home. He thinks there's another war coming. They want us safe. They want us to go back to the South Pole now. Gran-gran and Pakku have expressed their concern too."

"But we can't quit yet!" Toph retorted. "Azula's still out there!"

Katara was rubbing her elbow. "I don't know… If Zuko's father is involved in this, then we don't know what he's capable of. If he and Azula are on the same team, then their plan to start the war all over again could be a lot deadlier than we thought. If we can go home now and seek safety, maybe we can wait out the first strike and find another day to retaliate."

"Are you saying we quit while we're on the top of our game?" asked Toph as she crossed her arms angrily.

"Face it Toph," said Katara. "We're _not_ on the top of our game."

Sokka turned to Aang. "It's your decision now, buddy. You're the one who has to face Azula."

Aang looked down. After a brief moment of thinking, Aang turned around to the east, facing the horizon, towards the Eastern Air Temple. "We try to stop Azula one last time. _When _we win, we go to the South Pole—to celebrate!"

The group pumped their fists to the sky and cheered just as wildly.

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o0o

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The group prepared all their things. Katara placed on four water satchels and filled them to the brim. Toph molded some metal plates she had kept and formed them into arm and shin guards. Aang went to the woods to change his clothes. When Katara saw him coming out of the trees, the sight of Aang almost forced her back. But she waited for him with a smile.

"You're wearing your old outfit again," said Katara. "You look sharp—almost the same old Aang I remember."

Aang smiled at her. "Thanks."

Sokka was sharpening his machete with a flint and made sure his clubs were tied around his belt. He got onto Appa's saddle and tied the rest of their belongings. Sokka also checked Appa's reigns, making sure they were tied correctly. As he did this, Appa made a sad moan.

Sokka sensed something was wrong with the beast. "What's up, Appa? Did Khai feed you with another of those sick yellow apples of his?"

Appa shook his large head and nudged his head towards the other Sky Bison, Ummi.

Sokka smiled and patted Appa's head. "Ah… In love are we?"

Appa moaned. That was a yes.

Sokka clapped his hands together. "Well, my good friend, you've come to the right man… I have the best experience in the line of _love_…" And Sokka prolonged his last word. "Call me the professor of sweetness, the master of smooth-talking, the best of all ladies-men, and the guy who puts the 'man' in ro-_man_-ce."

Appa shook its large head in disgust.

Sokka slid by Appa's head and pointed to Ummi a few meters away in the beach. The large bison was rolling playfully in the sand.

"Look at her, Appa… Such a beautiful coat of fur… What small horns… The slimy tongue… The bright big eyes… That furry little butt… Ain't she a beauty…?"

Appa was already salivating.

"I would recommend 'aloofness' when you approach her, but since you're an animal, I think we can skip directly to the part where you impress her with your talents. A woman loves a guy who can do stuff. So, buddy… what are your good stuffs…?"

Appa moaned.

Sokka rubbed his chin. "A roar is good, but yours needs some work. Besides, I've never heard of any girl being drawn in by a roar. If it doesn't work with Ummi, than it would be best if you try again with another Sky Bison. After all, there are always other fish in the sea…

"But since you two are the last Sky Bison in the world, I would suggest finding another way to impress her."

And Sokka walked away, whistling.

Appa turned back to face Ummi. Suddenly, the beast wasn't sure how to act around her. He was pressured for their existence. And he thought being the last Sky Bison wasn't enough. Now, he had to impress the girl just so their species could continue existing.

Appa was pressed for time. It looked around to see if he could find some help. Nothing seemed helpful. The walls were slowly closing in on Appa. Its chest tightened. He had to make a move now! Time was running out! The world was collapsing before its eyes! Appa was choking on its own tongue somehow. _It had to do something fast!_

It came from out of nowhere.

"_**ROOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR!!**_"

Everyone turned to Appa, watching the creature. It became quiet after Appa's roar. Appa watched as Ummi got out of the sand and snubbed him away, raising its large nose in the air and walked away in the other direction.

Appa slumped onto the ground, stirring the sand around its feet.

He'll have to try again.

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o0o

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The group was almost ready to leave for the Eastern Air Temple. The only thing left was some business with Zuko. "_That's absurd!_" Zuko shouted. "_I'm not putting my family in danger! You, Khai, and Ummi stay here while we handle Azula._ We'll be back before you even know it."

Ursa pleaded with her son. "But Zuko…"

Zuko jumped onto Appa. "I'm sorry mom… I just can't allow it…" He turned to Appa. "Appa! Yip! Yip!"

And Appa cast off into the sky, leaving Ummi, Ursa, and Khai behind in the sandy beaches of Chameleon Bay.

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**Eastern Sea, Southeast of**** Chameleon Bay, approaching the Eastern Air Temple**

"_It's a race now_," said Zhao as he stood by Azula on the deck of the Earth Kingdom Junk boat. "_Our adversaries probably know where we're headed after your last stunt at the Earth Kingdom capital. They know where we're going and they're probably right behind us. We have placed a good distance behind us and we will probably reach the temple first. But Zuko and his friends have a Sky Bison and are probably gaining on us… The race is on and everything depends on who gets to the temple before whom…_"

Azula nodded. "Are my loyal subjects ready?"

Long Feng came by Azula's side. "They're getting ready below deck. I know you may have doubts about them but I've gathered the best and the most loyal Earthbenders throughout Ba Sing Se. They are faithful only to the Avatar and will happily subdue anyone who crosses you."

A few moments later, the three Junks arrived on the shoreline of the large island. The mountain tops were covered with clouds and the sheer vertical climb seemed daunting. Long Feng could bend his head back as far as he wanted but no matter how hard he would try, he would still not see the top of the mountain—and more so the Eastern Air Temple.

"Are we going to climb that?" asked Long Feng. He already knew the answer but the mountain side was so steep and jagged that even an experienced climber would back away at the sight.

"Yes," said Azula. "We are."

Zhao laughed. "_Not me_."

_**AAAOOOOOOOoooo**_**…**

It was the signal horn coming from the third Junk. That was the call for defense. Someone was approaching. The enemies were here.

Zhao scanned the sky.

"_Our enemies are here…_" said Zhao calmly. "_I suggest getting to the top through the quickest way possible…_"

Azula jumped off the boat and landed on her two feet, choosing not to wear footwear for now. Being barefoot allowed her full contact with the ground and improved her Earthbending by a mile. Her landing had shook the ground for a second and then, she set her fists apart and slowly raised them—raising the ground beneath her slowly and separating it from the rest of the earth.

Azula began to swing her fists around in circular motions. This made the mound she had created move across the ground and up the mountainside. Azula Earthbended herself up the mountain.

Behind her, the other loyal Earthbenders followed her method and scaled the mountain by lifting mounds off the earth. Still high above them were their enemies on a flying Sky Bison.

But they weren't going to get far.

Azula stopped on a cliff face and set her gaze at the flying bison—the target. Azula then slammed her heel on the mountainside, lifting a huge boulder off the ground. She then shot it at the target, not with Earthbending, but with Firebending—using the force of her blue fire to ricochet the boulder into the sky. A tail of blue fire trailed after it.

.

o0o

.

"FIREBALL COMING STRAIGHT FOR US!" Sokka alarmed. "AZULA IS HERE!"

Aang pulled on the reigns sharply, forcing Appa to bank left and down. The fireball shot up from below and missed them by a few feet. The wake of air that came after it almost sent Appa into a fatal dive. The group held on for dear life. Momo fell off but quickly flew back. More blue fireballs swept past them.

"Looks like Azula's learned Earthbending pretty well…" Katara noted.

"Are you congratulating her?" Sokka asked.

"I was just saying."

"Would you two quit bickering for a second?" Toph cut-in. She then turned to Aang. "Aang, could you bring me as close to the mountainside as possible? I'll take care of Azula before she reaches the temple."

Aang swung Appa back to the mountainside. "You got it."

.

o0o

.

Azula was climbing higher, trying to get a closer shot at the bison. Her lucky chance came when the little Airbender actually steered the bison right _by_ the mountainside. _How stupid!_ Now, they were as clear as day and an easy target for Azula. All Azula had to do now was make sure she could hear them when they screamed.

Azula pounded her left fist on the mountainside and liberated a large, sharp boulder of rock. She sent the boulder skyward on a pillar of blue fire. The fire was so strong that it nearly incinerated the boulder altogether. The shockwave from its speed seemed to shatter anyone's eardrums.

Appa still remained in place.

But Toph had jumped off and collided directly with the blue fireball, instantly breaking it to pieces. And as Toph fell, she Earthbended a ledge to slide out from the mountain. This allowed her to land safely.

Azula was moving again.

"Get out of my way!" she hissed.

Both of them were now fighting on a vertical wall with only Earthbending to support them. Behind Azula were some of her loyal followers, also scaling the mountainside.

Azula made the first move, pulling her arms close to her body. The loose rocks throughout mountain started getting drawn to her. The rocks piled onto her body until everything but her eyes were covered. Azula had made herself earth armor.

"Are you intimidated?" Azula said coyly. "I've mastered Earthbending and only a master Earthbender can mold the earth into a form of armor. You should be afraid, blind girl."

Toph snorted. "Are you kidding? You just covered yourself in _earth_. That just makes my job a whole lot easier!"

Toph thrust the back of her hands forward—at Azula.

Azula thought she had been hit by an invisible force. Something had forced her off the mountain and down towards the ground. She couldn't move her arms or her head. The earth armor was being used _against_ her. Toph was bending them. And as Azula fell, she collided against a couple of her loyal followers.

Upon "seeing" the followers, Toph immediately slammed her hands on the ground. The portion of mountain the followers were on suddenly collapsed and crumbled off the mountain. They fell off, but followers weren't out of the game yet.

Azula wasn't out of the game yet.

.

.

.

**Eastern Air Temple**

Zuko, Katara, Sokka, and Aang got off the moment they reached the first of the lesser temples. The Eastern Air Temple was unique because it sat on three mountaintops—two lesser temples surrounding the larger central temple. Although the structures here were much smaller than the other air temples, they were harder to protect due to their divisions.

"Katara!" Aang spoke. "There's a waterfall on the central mountaintop. I think you could use it. Guard the temple there in case somebody else comes up. Zuko can stand here and wait for Toph and Azula. Sokka and I can head them off to the library and secure the Airbending scrolls."

All of them nodded.

Aang turned to his Sky Bison, "Appa, I need you to get down there and get Toph as soon as she's done. We'll be waiting for you when you come back."

And they watched Appa fly down.

Then, there was a rumble.

Long Feng suddenly popped out from the ground.

"_YAH!_" was his cry as he created lifting lines of earth that jackknifed down the ground and towards the group. This was the same jackknife that killed Jet and Long Feng was hoping to produce the same results here.

But the group was too nimble, too quick. Aang had dodged one of these jackknives. Katara had broken the line easily with a simple water whip. Zuko blasted through the jackknife with a large blaze. Sokka smashed into the rock with his club. Long Feng would need more than brute force to break them.

That's why Long Feng brought along some reinforcements.

More and more Earthbender followers jumped out of Long Feng's improvised entrance and started attacking the group.

Since there was so little earth on the top of the mountains, they had to improvise by using the temple structures itself as weapons. They would sometimes take a huge portion of a temple pillar. This served two things: if the enemy was under the structure the pillar was holding up, then they might get trapped under the rubble. And the pillar piece could be thrown back to hit their opponents. Either way, the first of the temples was being destroyed. Structures were collapsing and rocks were flying everywhere. And what was worse was that Aang didn't have the time to stop it all.

"We have to move higher!" Sokka asserted. "We have to get out of their range!"

_Boom!_ Aang stopped when he realized that the Earthbenders were now throwing statues at them. Aang turned back with horror. "They're destroying the temple! I've got to stop them!"

Katara took hold of his hand. "Keep going, Aang! We' can't afford to lose you right now!"

Below, four Earthbenders lifted a sizeable building off the ground. Another four Earthbenders swung their arms and lifted the cone-shape house into the sky. Its pointed top almost looked like a spear. Sokka saw it and clung to a building wall for shelter.

Aang knocked his fists together and slowly created a large dome of air that held them all. When the building crashed into their side of the mountain, they were unharmed, but the building behind them was reduced to rubble.

"We have to go higher!" Katara spoke.

Zuko looked up. "I'm afraid this is the highest point there is."

Below them, the Earthbenders were climbing higher. The group felt stuck on the highest point in the world. But Aang turned to his left and found his way out of the trap. "There!" he said as he pointed with his staff. "We can jump to the next mountaintop—the central air temple!"

"There's no way we can make that jump!" Sokka shouted.

_Whizz…_

A boulder just flew inches away from Sokka's face.

Aang pointed towards the incoming Earthbenders. "Are you suggesting we go back _down_?"

Sokka was queasy. "Alright. We'll have it your way. But there are bridges at the lower levels. If we don't want our enemies to come after us, we'll have to destroy those bridges."

Aang understood and snapped his glider wings open. "Everybody hold on tight!"

Zuko took some time to stare at the glider's small wings. "You won't have enough strength to pull all three of us across, you know that? We're too heavy! We'll just fall!"

_Whizz…_

"We'll just have to trust Aang," said Katara. "He knows what he's doing. He'll get us through this."

_Whizz…_

_Whizz…_

_Whizz…_

The four of them immediately got hold of the glider. After a moment's hesitation, they abandoned all their worries and let themselves go, choosing to fall the moment their enemies were tired out from chucking rocks. The moment all of them stepped down from their ledge, Aang unleashed all his air power, pushing them forward and up.

But the four of them quickly realized that they were falling.

.

o0o

.

"We're too heavy!" Sokka shouted.

Aang couldn't respond just yet. He was still trying to Airbend. Their fall couldn't be stopped but at least Aang could push them forward—to the next mountaintop. It was working despite their speedy descent and there was only one thing left to do: "_Zuko! Burn down those bridges!_"

Zuko kicked with his feet and sent a fire blast right the connecting bridge between the two mountains. The bridge broke apart and Zuko's blast also gave the group a little kick that sent them upwards.

And the group slammed into the central mountainside.

"Ouch," said Sokka.

.

o0o

.

Toph was holding things by herself. The blind Earthbender kicked and punched people off mountainside. But they came back though. And it seemed to Toph that the more she threw people off the mountain, the more they kept coming back. And when they returned, there were always more of them. Toph had to stop them before she couldn't handle them all.

And then, she _couldn't_ sense Azula.

Toph had been keeping track of Azula's position ever since she landed back on the mountainside. Toph could sense her staying absolutely still. Azula did not move from her position ever since.

But when Azula began to move, she disappeared completely.

A bead of sweat trickled down Toph's neck.

_Where is she…? How could she disappear all of a sudden…?_

But then, Azula reappeared again. Toph sensed her clinging to the mountainside from out of nowhere. She had somehow leaped further upward without stepping on the earth. And as Toph concentrated on this, she realized that her Earthbending adversaries had come a little closer. Toph had to pay attention to these fights.

And then Azula disappeared again.

_Where'd she go now?_

Azula appeared again.

Azula disappeared again.

And every time Azula appeared Toph could sense that she was getting a lot closer than she liked. This worried Toph greatly. Since Toph couldn't predict where she'd "pop-up" next, Azula had the upper hand. How was Azula doing this? Why couldn't she see her?

The answer of course was simple. Toph couldn't see Azula because she wasn't touching the ground. Azula was in the air—using quick bursts of Firebending to propel her higher and then coming back down to the ground to rest her energy. But Azula couldn't hold her power long enough to maintain level flight.

Toph tried to attack by punching the ground where Azula would land, but Azula always managed to get back into the air before her strike.

Azula disappeared again.

By this time, Toph was too concentrated on Azula that she had allowed a few Earthbender followers a foot closer. It was easy to launch them off the mountain, but upon doing so, she had forgotten about Azula for a second. And that second was all it took for Azula to take the advantage.

Azula landed right behind Toph.

With less than a fraction of a second, Azula launched Toph off the mountain and into the air.

Toph kept screaming.

.

o0o

.

Long Feng was particularly worried about falling right now. There was no way across since the bridge had been destroyed and anyone who would dare attempt to jump would fall certainly to their doom. The quickest solution was to bridge the two mountains with Earthbending. But Long Feng couldn't bridge it without going over the edge and risking his life.

Long Feng looked up and the tip of his mountaintop. He had an idea.

After collaborating with the other Earthbenders, Long Feng and his team quickly sliced down the entire mountaintop. This effectively destroyed the first of the lesser temples. The statues and structures were crushed under all the Earthbending. After the mountaintop had been sliced, the Earthbenders quickly tipped it to the side and the large portion of mountain leaned towards the central mountaintop.

_**CRASH!**_

Smoke and rubble flew everywhere as the first mountaintop leaned onto the second, creating a land bridge for Long Feng and his men to cross. The collision of the two mountains also destroyed sacred and fragile structures from the central mountaintop. Long Feng and his men began to cross.

The Eastern Air Temple was slowly being blown to bits.

.

o0o

.

Katara looked down from the edge of the central mountaintop. "There are more Earthbenders coming up this way!" she shouted. "I'll try to stop them!"

Katara had already seen the waterfall. With skillful hands, Katara curved the flow of water so that it would come down on the climbing Earthbenders. To the Earthbenders, it seemed as if a storm had suddenly come down upon them. The rain was more than just water. It was snow and hail too. They pelted all the soldier's bodies and Katara Waterbended it so that they would freeze the Earthbenders in place.

Zuko and Aang were dually fighting the Earthbenders that had made the land bridge to their side of the mountain. Aang sent them flying off while Zuko pushed them back. It was not likely that they would break that line of defense.

Sokka was in the temple, running about. He had to get to the scrolls first.

"We're holding them back!" said Aang, surprised that he could actually say that in this problematic time. "They can't get through us!"

Zuko sent two fire blasts with his feet. "We might actually stop this… if nothing else happens to interrupt us…"

.

o0o

.

But Azula appeared.

.

o0o

.

Sokka entered the library and began stuffing his bag with all sorts of manuscripts and scrolls. His bag wasn't big though and Sokka couldn't keep the paintings in the walls. Luckily, Sokka had brought a small dynamite stick. It was against Aang's rules, but they had no choice now.

Sokka started lighting the dynamite fuse.

But a large rock knocked into his hand and set the dynamite on the ground.

Sokka turned around and came face to face with Long Feng.

Long Feng liberated a large rock from the ground. "I'm afraid I can't let you destroy or take away those scrolls," said Long Feng silently. "Make one more move and you might not wake up to know I hit you."

Sokka knew the truth when he heard it. Luckily, he already had his club out in his hand. He threw it at Long Feng, aiming for that large head of his.

Long Feng was quick to sidestep and launched his rock.

Sokka fell flat on the ground as the rock sailed above him and into a shelf of old scrolls. When Sokka dropped to the ground, he took out the last weapon he had hidden in his pocket. It was his last resort and probably his only way out.

It was a Bison whistle.

And Sokka blew sharply into it.

.

o0o

.

Toph couldn't feel more _alive_.

She patted Appa's fur.

"_Thanks Appa_," Toph said gratefully.

Appa caught her as she fell from the mountainside. But as Appa moved back up, something happened that worsened their entire situation. A group of Earthbenders had seen them below and created a large landslide that instantly covered them both. Another group of Earthbenders created a large ledge for Appa to land on. The rocks from above buried the creature and its passenger. Appa couldn't get out.

And out of all that chaos, Appa heard a sharp but faint whistle. He wanted to answer it but Appa just couldn't move right now.

.

o0o

.

"It looks like your Bison whistle _isn't_ working, boy!" Long Feng said and laughed. "I think your bison's a little preoccupied!"

Sokka blew and blew again. But it was clear that nothing was happening. Appa wasn't coming. His last chance for escape was thwarted.

"Hand me those scrolls, boy!"

Sokka was about to head into a fistfight with the man. But then, the side wall of the library burst open as a huge head rammed it hard. Long Feng was clearly surprised and took to screaming as hard as his mommy. Light burst from the new hole and dust swirled around in the open space. It was clearly a Sky Bison's head, but it wasn't Appa.

It was Ummi—Ummi and her two fellow passengers.

Khai winked at Sokka who was still holding his Bison whistle.

"You called?"

.

o0o

.

Zhao appeared beside Azula who was clearly winning the battle single-handedly. The use of both Firebending and Earthbending created a lethal combination. It was enough to push Zuko and Aang back. Blue fireballs were everywhere. Aang was able to bat a few to the side, but Zuko was the one left open. Zuko would often brace himself for impact and watch as his clothes got burned off.

Then came a shriek.

"_HELP!_"

The sound was definitely Katara's voice.

Zuko turned to Aang. "Go help her!"

"What about you?" Aang asked.

"I'll be fine! Help Katara!"

Zhao smiled as he watched all this drama unfold before him. He stepped by Azula and said. "_I think you can handle Zuko from here… I'll be checking on Long Feng to see if he has any of the scrolls ready… I'll be back to check on you…_"

And Zhao disappeared.

.

o0o

.

"Katara! Hold on!"

Katara was dangling on a cliff-side. Aang could see that her other arm was limp, probably broken. Katara was clearly crying in pain. The agony of broken bones was like a fire had been set inside your arm. The breaking of bone itself was something to cry about. She had only her other arm to hold on to. And she was losing grip—fast.

Below Katara was an entire mess. The waterfall had frozen all of the Earthbenders in place but there were those that still managed to fight back a bit and one of those fighters managed to strike Katara on the arm. The sudden shock made Katara lose her bearings and slip off the side.

"Are you sure you can't move your other hand?" Aang asked.

Katara was running out of breath. "_Yes!_" she cried.

Aang Airbended her up and caught her in his arms. By the time Katara landed on Aang's arms, she was already spent and she fell into unconsciousness. Aang set her by a wall, tucked away safely. As he did this, he could hear fireballs and flying rocks. He could hear the central temple being torn down. He could hear Katara's shallow breath.

Aang closed his eyes and felt his determination building up inside him.

Azula was going down.

.

o0o

.

At first, Long Feng thought he would kill the little boy by accident. He was so small and his body looked so weak, a simple landslide would have turned him into a pretzel. Long Feng was careful to show _some_ mercy on him. He didn't want a curse on his head if ever he'd die.

But the mercy he showed to the boy was not given back. Khai was more than Long Feng could even handle. A jumping side kick hit Long Feng right on the ribs and made his eyes shoot out. Khai propelled his forward and knocked Long Feng right on his sternum. The brass knuckles on the kid's fists felt like heated brands. Long Feng had no time to respond.

Instantly, the boy switched tactics and reverted to a quicker and faster pacing. Khai's movement mimicked lightning with its speed and fatality. Khai brushed his knuckles on Long Feng's closed eyes.

Long Feng howled.

The Earthbender decided never to underestimate people again. He fired attacks of his own, lifting earth waves, shooting rocks, and forcing pillars of earth upward. Khai avoided all of them by jumping up or following the direction of the attack.

Zhao was watching from the sidelines, amazed by the boy's dexterity and nimbleness. He did notice that the boy was using a mix of all the bending disciplines without even bending them. Long Feng didn't stand a chance. The boy even used Long Feng's body against him by throwing him with the man's own momentum.

Then, it hit Zhao instantly.

Zhao had an idea.

The boy was the key.

.

o0o

.

Azula couldn't help but laugh at her brother's futile methods. Zuko wasn't using much fire blasts at all. Zuko seemed to shoot her attacks with small shots from the tips of his two fingers. Zuko was clearly minimizing the Firebender's basic foundation: _fire at will_.

"You really are odd, do you know that?" asked Azula. "A Firebender attacks with ferocity, Zuko. That's what makes a Firebender powerful."

Zuko didn't think of Azula's taunts but replied. "My most recent master taught me that Firebending was more than big explosions or large fire blasts. With the right amount of precision, I can do the exact kind of damage."

Azula laughed. "All these confusing things only add to your burdens, Zuko. No wonder you're still hunting the Avatar. No wonder you're so concerned about your messed-up destiny."

Zuko stopped firing and faced Azula with slight anger. "_I know my own destiny._"

And slowly, Zuko began to rotate his arms. Inside, he felt his chi circulating within him. Within that mass of swirling energy, Zuko was able to identify his positive and negative energies. But Zuko couldn't complete his task because a mix of other emotions began to evoke in him. He recalled times when he was chasing Aang with all his fury and rage. He recalled times where he did everything he had to in order to gain his father's acceptance. His destiny was clouded.

"_No!_" Zuko hissed to himself. "_I know my own destiny…_"

Then slowly, all Zuko's inner turmoil fizzled away and he was filled with clarity. He could see the moment where he chose to face his father and the moment he faced Aang when he had found his destiny. He could see his path being cleared and his uncle telling him how proud he was because he had come back.

Zuko could see his positive and negative energies.

And then, Zuko separated them easily.

And the energies came crashing back together.

The tips of Zuko's fingers began to spark with electricity.

Zuko was generating lightning.

.

o0o

.

Zuko shot the lightning towards Azula. Azula had no time to back away.

.

o0o

.

But in that time, Zuko heard Master Jeong Jeong speaking inside his head. _When you create lightning, I hope I am not there to see it… Even lightning goes astray…_

When the lightning bolt shot out, Azula could see that Zuko did not aim for her. Zuko had purposely missed Azula.

Azula laughed.

"See, Zuko? Even if you have incredible amounts of power, you are always hindered by principles and morals. Your so-called 'destiny' interferes with your ability to fight with ferocity. You could have killed me, you know? You could have stopped things here and now. But your _stupid_ principles keep holding you back. Lucky for me, I have no principles."

And Azula started firing at Zuko like crazy, punching and throwing bursts of blue flame like a maddening joy ride. Zuko didn't seem to attack. He was preoccupied with himself.

Zuko still seemed to find some calmness in him.

"Any _monkey-bird_ can ball up a fist and shove it into someone's face, but how many people will take control of themselves and forge their body in the fire of their _will_?" asked Zuko.

And as Zuko said this, he thought of Master Jeong Jeong. He thought of fire, how it is deadly and destructive and how Master Jeong Jeong found it a curse. But there was one piece of fire Jeong Jeong did like—the sun. The fire of the sun was pure fire—it was a fire that allowed plants to grow and everything to live. It gave light and it was powerful and still pure.

Sun fire.

Pure fire.

Zuko held a small orange fireball in his hands. Azula stopped for a moment and watched what her brother was going to do. The fire on Zuko's hand danced around for a second before Zuko compressed his fingers together. The compression also squeezed the orange fireball into something more brilliant.

The orange fire turned blue.

Blue fire was ferocious and consuming. It was deadly and it wasn't the one Zuko was looking for. A few seconds later, Zuko compressed his fingers more. The blue torch then began to squeeze together and shrink until all the blue coloring faded away and the torch was nothing more than a line. The fire was now completely white.

White fire.

Pure fire.

Sun fire.

Zuko remembered the professor who had told him how Firebending didn't seem to have a pure form that actually did more good than bad.

Zuko just found it.

.

o0o

.

Azula lifted a large rock off the ground and Firebended it towards Zuko with glass-shattering force. Zuko was unfazed. He stared at the blue fireball coming his way and he was not afraid.

Zuko felt the white fire in his hand and slowly wrapped his fingers around it. Then, Zuko rapidly created a giant wall of white fire for defense.

When the blue fireball hit this wall, the fireball was instantly pulverized.

White fire seemed to be solid despite the fact that it was fire. The force and heat alone was enough to disintegrate the rock entirely. But despite this ferocity, Zuko noticed that the plants around him seemed to be drawn to the fire the same way they would to the sun. Apparently, white fire was bright enough to kick-start plant photosynthesis.

Imagine… a fire that gave _life_.

Zuko smiled.

.

o0o

.

Khai kicked Long Feng one last time. Long Feng had no choice now but to run away. He scampered off and into the doorway. Khai had no choice but to follow him now. Ursa quickly protested. "_Khai! Don't!_"

But Khai was already too far for his mother to hear.

Sokka then saw something beyond Ummi, outside the hole and in the sky. When Sokka saw it, he felt his blood run cold. Ursa saw it too and she gasped.

"I have to get Zuko out of here!" Ursa said.

Sokka nodded quietly.

A few kilometers away, tucked in the horizon, Sokka could see dozens of black dots. These weren't just dots. They were something more dreadful.

Fire Nation airships were coming this way.

Sokka didn't think they were the friendly kind either.

.

o0o

.

Azula had never seen anything like it.

Zuko wasn't throwing large fire blasts and yet, he was effectively pushing her back. Zuko was shooting tiny bursts of white flame from the tips of his fingers. Zuko had pinpoint accuracy and every hit on Azula sent her flying back.

Zuko was putting more power with precision and control.

Zuko was winning.

"_Zuko! You have to get out of here now! There are airships coming this—!_"

Zuko was definitely surprised to see his mother here. He recalled telling her to stay in Chameleon Bay until he came back. He couldn't believe that his mother would disobey him right now. And if his mother was here, then that meant Khai was here too. That wasn't good news. He didn't intend anyone else to get hurt.

"Mom! Stay back right now—!"

And then, Zuko understood why his mother went quiet.

Ursa was locking eyes with her daughter.

.

o0o

.

Ursa stared at Azula. She stared at her mangled hair, at her pale skin, at her cold and vicious eyes. Ursa stared at her ragged clothing, how it was torn in so many places. Ursa swore she saw fangs in her teeth and scars on some parts of her face. Azula's fingers were twitchy. Azula was wild and Ursa knew at once she was dangerous.

Azula felt that she was still having another of her delusions and she was ready to kill this one.

.

o0o

.

"_A monster…_" Ursa gasped. "_My daughter is a monster…_"

.

o0o

.

Azula was taken aback. Every time she had delusional contacts with her mother, she would always tell her that she loved her and that she always did. Her imaginary mother would be kind and caring—loving despite her horrible features and deeds. Then, Azula would retaliate, telling her imaginary mother that she was wrong and that she _is_ a monster. She would tell her how she could never love her.

But this was different.

Her mother was now telling her that _she_ was a monster. Her mother looked frightened and terrified beyond all reason. She was backing away slowly as if Azula would suddenly pounce on her and kill her. Ursa was frightened of what her daughter had become. This was all real—and Azula couldn't take it, couldn't understand.

"_A monster…_" she gasped with fear.

Azula's breathing became rapid and tightening. This was wrong. _Her mother should tell her she loved her!_ Azula would have reasoned that she was wrong. _Her mother loved her! Her mother loved her! _This couldn't be real.

Azula stepped closer. "_I'M NOT A MONSTER!_" she screeched.

Ursa was heaving hard with wild eyes. She put a hand to her face and backed off. "_NO! STAY BACK!_"

Azula was pleading now, crying. "_YOU WERE NEVER AFRAID OF ME! YOU LOVED ME! YOU SAID YOU ALWAYS LOVED ME!_"

Ursa was running now. "_Get away! Get away!_"

Zuko urged his mother to run. "Get moving mom! Azula is out of control!"

Azula started to run towards her mother. "_NO! MOTHER! NO! PLEASE! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO LOVE ME! YOU ALWAYS SAID!_" she cried. "_YOU ALWAYS SAID! YOU ALWAYS SAID YOU LOVED ME!_"

Then, Aang jumped from out of nowhere and stopped Azula with a gust of wind. With fury and determination building up inside him, Aang forced Azula down with one hand.

And then with his free hand, Aang began to pull the air out of Azula's lungs.

.

o0o

.

Khai was still on the trail of Long Feng. The man had wandered down a dark passageway within the temple. If he didn't act fast, Long Feng could escape. And Khai wasn't about to let the bad guy escape on his watch.

But then, something hit Khai on the chest and knocked out his breath.

Khai's world slowly became black.

.

o0o

.

Aang wasn't aiming to kill Azula. He was just taking enough air to force her into unconsciousness. When Azula's eyes started to close, Aang set her on the ground. When Azula showed no signs of movement, Aang placed his hands on her forehead and neckline.

The ground began to shake.

He was ready to become the Avatar again.

.

o0o

.

The sky became a mix of red and blue-white. The internal battle between Aang and Azula was clear and simple. Since Azula's spirit was already broken, Aang would clearly win this fight. And Aang decided that while he was here, he would take away Azula's Firebending in the process.

Already, Azula's eyes were the only red energies left in her whole body.

.

o0o

.

One eye left.

.

o0o

.

One stream of red energy glowing in a blue-white sky.

.

o0o

.

Zhao grabbed Aang and pulled him away, breaking the connection.

.

o0o

.

And the bombs began to fall.

.

o0o

.

Zuko could see that Fire Nation airships were surrounding the temple in every direction. With their cannons, they began shooting bombs onto the temple. They already tore their way through the third lesser temple and were now coming in to destroy the central temple. Some bombs were already flying towards them, but Zuko used his white fire to strike the bombs and make them explode before they hit the ground.

Zhao smiled at the airships. "_Ahhh… my cavalry has arrived…_"

Zhao placed an unconscious Azula in his arms and started walking towards the nearest airship, ready to disembark. After taking one last gander behind him, it was clear that their enemies were pretty much preoccupied. Aang was unconscious—tired out after trying to take Azula's energy. Zuko was busy taking care of the falling bombs. Zhao knew that Katara was down and hurt. He also knew that Sokka was on a Sky Bison, trying to steer it out.

Zhao stepped onto the airship platform and one of the captains saluted him. Long Feng was already there with a boy in his arms. The captain bowed in front of Zhao as he stepped onboard. "_Thank you for coming… Now, please reduce this temple to ash…_"

.

.

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**Fire Nation, Grand Plaza, Royal Palace**

A scribe approached Ozai with news. "Sir… There is news of your daughter's safety."

Ozai rubbed his chin. "Very good. That means she is ready. Tell the generals and war ministers to send out a massive fleet. Send out all the airships and warships for protection of the Avatar. She must not be harmed. And make sure to send word to remove all the remaining free cities throughout the world. They cannot interfere with my plans."

"Will I state that a new war is about to start?" asked the scribe politely.

"_New?_" mocked Ozai. "The war had _never_ stopped."

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**Eastern mountain range, adjacent to the Eastern Air Temple**

Katara was shaking Aang awake with one hand. "_Aang… Please wake up…_"

Aang heard her voice, but it was distant and unfitting to everything that had happened before his unconsciousness. Where everything was fireballs and determination in one half of his life, this new one was soothing and the voice was kind. But Aang could hear worry too—and urgency beyond that.

Aang opened his eyes and realized that he had not yet escaped chaos.

_**BOOM!**_

_**BOOM!**_

"Aang! You're awake!" came Katara's voice. Her voice was a mix of joy and sadness. Around Aang were Sokka and Zuko's mom. Aang could also see Toph and Zuko standing with their back facing him. Zuko was still Firebending and Toph was still Earthbending. Red little rocks were being thrown down from the sky. Toph and Zuko seemed to be protecting them.

Not rocks.

Bombs!

Aang pulled himself up. "_Bombs…_" he gasped.

"Easy there, big boy," said Sokka. "Zuko and Toph have the bombs under control."

"_No…_" Aang gasped. "_Not about control… Bombs could destroy the temple…_"

Sokka lowered his head, avoiding Aang's gaze. "The temple's gone, Aang… Zhao, Long Feng, and Azula escaped. Those airships just took out the Eastern Air Temple…"

This surprised Aang more than he should have been. "_Why…?_" he asked.

"Because we were on it," said Sokka with a shrug.

Katara sighed. "Where do we go from here? Do we go to the Southern Air Temple?"

"We have no choice," said Sokka. "It's the last air temple and if we reach there first, we could prevent Azula from ever learning Airbending. After the Southern Air Temple is gone, Azula can't be the Avatar."

Zuko joined in the conversation. "One last go?"

"I'm not going…" said Ursa as she turned away from the crowd. "There are some things I have to…_settle_…"

"Where will you go?" said Zuko. Obviously, Zuko would permit his mother to go wherever she pleased, but that didn't mean Zuko couldn't ever see her again. "Will we meet again…?"

Ursa touched Zuko's cheek. "Take care of Ummi and Khai while I'm gone."

That wasn't a definitive answer.

Aang turned to Sokka. "Where's Khai?"

Sokka shook his head. "He was taken away as prisoner. We tried to get him back, but there were just too many airships. I don't know why they took him. I saw Long Feng carry his unconscious body on his shoulder, but I don't know. All of this is a mystery to me."

Aang watched Ursa walk away.

Katara suddenly came into the conversation. "I don't want to be the wet blanket, but I think it's best if we head for the South Pole. We've done all we could. Maybe it would be best if other people took the job for us…for a little while…"

Aang sat up and leaned on a wall.

"It's over…" said Aang.

Katara was shocked. "What do you mean…?"

"Azula and Zhao won't have to go to the Southern Air Temple anymore," Aang continued. "They won't because…they have Khai…"

"What does that mean?" asked Sokka.

"Khai can be Azula's Airbending teacher.

Zuko understood immediately. "Of course… Khai mastered all the bending disciplines. Zhao or Long Feng must have noticed it. That must be why they took him."

Aang nodded. "Khai might fight back, but eventually, they'll torture him and force him to teach Azula. They'll _make_ him teach Airbending. And when they do, Azula will have four elements under her belt. Azula will have mastered all the bending arts. She could control water, earth, fire, air…"

Katara, Sokka, and Toph listened. The reality of Aang's message finally hit them. When Azula mastered Airbending, she will be powerful beyond imagining. She and her cohorts could do _anything_. And everything the gang had done to stop her from mastering that _single_ element had been put to waste. All the sacrificed air temples, all the battles and fights—they meant nothing now. There was nothing for them to do but to retreat and give up.

The wind was suddenly a lot colder.

The twilight sun wasn't helping either.

The sounds of an exploding temple only fueled their thoughts.

Azula _will_ master Airbending now—there was no doubt about that. Aang's leverage as the last Airbender was long gone and Sokka's plan for an advantage disappeared along with it. Now was the time for disapair and anguish. Now was the time for fear. The darkness was setting in.

"_There is no hope now…_" said Aang as rivulets of tears slid down his cheeks.

"_It's over…_"

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**At that last note is where I leave my second half of the story. The one advantage Team Avatar had against Azula is now gone and all they have left is tears, injuries, and lost hope. Now, everything is set for the final battle. All the advantages are on Azula's side. The world looks pretty dark about now…**

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**(Please take a breather before reading the next few things. Recall everything so far and imagine the story once more. What comes next is somewhat similar to the San Diego Comic Con Discussion Panel—except without the reactions from you audience/readers. That will come with your reviews. So, when you're done with the breather, proceed with what I'd like to call, the Avatar Fanfiction Discussion Panel)**

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**Hello reader,**

**For the second half of this story, I had a lot of things going for the gang. I had to rely on some form of plot basis and even though Azula as Avatar seems very far-fetched, I still had to base it on the old rules of Avatar.**

**For this Avatar Fanfiction Discussion Panel, I divided it into four things:**

**The explanations—which explains the second half and some other need-to-know thingamabobs.**

**The problems—there are some things I just had difficulty on.**

**Finale criteria—my basis for my finale**

**The trailer—****a short reading on the four or five part finale**

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**THE EXPLANATION**

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**This segment of the panel discusses about some important factors that contributed to the second half of the story and the story as a whole. It will also give a short explanation on some of the revelations and some of the new ideas that came out in the story.**

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o0o Avatar Effects o0o

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If you thought Aang had great impact on the world as Avatar, what more Azula. Azula's effects were discussed in some chapters, but basically, there are three things that were affected throughout the whole story. The first was the world. Azula becoming the Avatar just ruined a lot of things and that affected the spirit world. The second is the people. There have been people throughout the story that have been loyal to the Avatar and that doesn't change even if Azula becomes one. Others just want to stop her (like Team Avatar). The third and last effect is Azula herself. Sometimes, being the Avatar just drove her mad.

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o0o Timeline? What Timeline? o0o

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There have been some questionings about why Azula mastered the elements too quickly. Well, these questions came from people who read the story in one full go instead of waiting for the next chapter update. But, the story actually follows a correct timeline because the spacing in between chapters takes more than days and Azula is more than capable of mastering an element in that short time span. In fact, with Azula's sharp thinking and clear attitude towards priority, I believe Azula can master all the elements a lot faster than Aang.

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o0o Location, location, location o0o

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When I started making this story, I had everything planned out, even the places. I always kept the Avatar world map as my desktop background for reference. There are those stories that allow the gang to jump great distances in a heartbeat without making it realistic. When I made this story, I had to consider how near the nations were to each other and whether they could get there in a set time. Azula's travel to the four different nations was not picked at random. If you draw a line following the locations starting from chapter 11 to 20, you would notice the whole thing actually makes a large curve—a curve that passes through all the nations and at the same time, the three air temples.

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o0o Shipping o0o

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I'm not the kind of guy that would read a thoroughly long romance novel, but romance is a great "seasoning" to any story. And since I'm sticking to a sort of continuation to the Avatar storyline, I had to keep them canon. I did see the potential in Zutara, but I believe in Kataang (though I did give a reference to Zutara. It was given away in "The Sandbar". There was a guy named "Ratuza". That's actually an anagram for Zutara). Maiko is clearly here and so is Sukka (but only just so). I _do_ support Tokka ever since the episode "Serpent's Pass", but I just kept it one-sided as to not interfere with the canon. (Someone really has to pair Toph with somebody)

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o0o Air o0o

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And finally, "Air". I didn't name this story "Book 4: Air" for nothing. If I was going to use that title, I had to support it with stories that incorporate the usage of air or its ideals. Here are a few things I cited that helped me achieve that.

The first part of the story showed the gang's scattered lives the very same way air scatters everything.

When Azula took the Avatar State, the only element left with Aang was Air.

The only element Azula couldn't master was air. (until now, of course)

Toph couldn't see most of the time, like when she was in the sandbar or in the north pole. This is in reference to air being the opposite to earth. Also, Toph used Sandbending in two chapters, which is like Airbending.

Zuko was taught to fly during the first half of the story.

Ummi, the second Sky Bison, was added to the story.

Azula and Zhao used an Earth Kingdom airship during the most part of their travels.

The gang revisited three air temples and destroyed them.

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**THE PROBLEMS**

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**As an author, I encountered problems with the story. Sometimes, some character's nature contradicted their original nature. Sometimes, they broke the old rules. And there were just some times when I just didn't like how the plot was going along.**

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o0o Ursa o0o

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Honestly, I didn't really like the way I revealed Ursa. Zuko's mother always presented a problem with me and now, I can understand the difficulty it took to include Ursa in the original Avatar finale. As I read other Avatar fanfictions (not bashing), I noticed that whenever Ursa would speak, it always seemed unrealistic to me. If you noticed, in my story, when Ursa was revealed, she didn't have any speaking lines at all. She only began to speak during this chapter. One reason of difficulty with Ursa's character is that she has to explain her disappearance which is serious and tiresome. In this story, I made Khai explain where she went. Also, other stories seem to make Ursa strict and diplomatic. I couldn't deal with that and I decided to make the Ursa here into a kind of "_embarrasses-her-child-in-front-of-his-friends_" kind of mother to add some bit of realism.

But Ursa does play a role.

Most mothers are known to love their children no matter what happens to them. I decided to reverse that and show how Azula would react when Ursa would see her for the first time in a long time.

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o0o Animal Guide o0o

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This is more of a technical fault.

In the episode, "The Winter Solstice: The Spirit World" Aang mentions how each Avatar had its own animal guide. Appa was to Aang while Fang was to Roku. I decided to drop that here in this story because I didn't have the time and because Azula would just burn any pet that would try to nuzzle next to her.

Actually, chapter 19: the monster, was to show how Azula met a Pygmy Puma in the streets of Ba Sing Se and the Puma was to be named Jai Ren. I changed that to show something deeper—Azula's seemingly inexistent humanity.

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o0o The Sixth Man o0o

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Although there is an already clear set of characters in this story, there is a character that is not so clear and he cannot be found when you watch the show. That guy is the narrator. I don't think there was ever a show where a character's thoughts were brought out to the audience, and yet, there are chapters here that actually convey their thoughts due to narration. This is crucial for understanding the story and it goes directly out of line with the original cartoon series.

But since this story was reduced to mere words, I had to add in a form of compromise so the story could flow as easily as it would on TV.

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**FINALE CRITERIA**

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**I have created this criterion from these sources, (The Boy in the Iceberg, The Avatar Returns, Siege of the North I and II, Crossroads of Destiny, Day of Black Sun I and II, and Sozin's Comet I, II, III, IV). If I am to end this story in an epic format similar to the epic episodes of the Avatar storyline, I must follow these set of rules I have concluded from analyzing the sources.**

**Here it is:**

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_Spiritual Intervention_—every epic episode of Avatar had some form of spiritual intervention. It may be in the form of the Avatar State, a celestial event, or an interacting spirit. This is crucial for an epic finale.

_Greater Conflict_—although a deadline had already been set, it was slightly redundant and not as threatening as Sozin's comet. For my finale, there is a conflict that will be _far_ greater than the comet—something older and more shattering. You'll find out in the trailer.

_BOTT_—this is my acronym that stands for "Battle of the Titans". This is where two really beefed-up characters go head to head in one final showdown between the forces of good and evil. Aang and the Fire Lord was one. Azula and Zuko facing Katara and Aang was another. The BOTT here is far more challenging and titanic—which will be revealed to you in the second episode of the four or five-part finale.

_Goodbye Deux Ex Machina_—this is a criteria I've added but didn't come out in the epic sources cited above. Deux Ex Machina stands for "God of the Machine" for those who don't know. This is when something so powerful comes into the story that it alters the ending drastically. A good example of this is the Avatar State which gives Aang phenomenal power to win the battle. Truthfully, the Avatar State seemed like a cheat code to ultimate victory and I didn't want Aang to win that way—which is one of the reasons why I gave Azula the Avatar Spirit. _IF_ (and that's a _big_ "if") Aang and his friends are going to win, then I want him to win because of his friends, allies, and his courage alone. Call me cheesy if you want, but I want Aang to win without a cheat code.

_Aang's doubts about strength_—Aang is a frequent doubter of his own abilites despite the fact that he is more powerful and he knows. This will also come out, except that this time, it will be a lot more depressing—or ironic.

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**Before I go on to the Trailer, I would like to cite out some things.**

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**First of all (and with full caps), I WILL ONLY PUT ONE AUTHOR'S NOTE AND ONE DISCLAIMER IN THE BEGINNING OF THE FIRST CHAPTER. THERE WILL BE NO DISCLAIMERS IN THE CONTINUING CHAPTERS AFTER THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE FINALE BECAUSE I CONSIDER THE FOUR OR FIVE FINAL CHAPTERS AS ONE STORY.**

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**Let me repeat that again so the message is clear and I don't violate anything that'll get me into a freaking lawsuit.**

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**I WILL ONLY PUT ONE AUTHOR'S NOTE AND ONE DISCLAIMER IN THE BEGINNING OF THE FIRST CHAPTER. THERE WILL BE NO DISCLAIMERS IN THE CONTINUING CHAPTERS AFTER THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE FINALE BECAUSE I CONSIDER THE FOUR OR FIVE FINAL CHAPTERS AS ONE STORY.**

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**Also, there will be no Author's Note at the end of each of the final episodes as not to interrupt the storyline. I will cite anything I want to say at the very end of the story—at the final Avatar Fanfiction Discussion Panel.**

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**I am not yet sure if the story should go for four or five chapters. It depends on the fourth chapter. If everything can fit there, then I don't need to extend. If I decide I can't end it there, then there'll be a fifth chapter.**

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**And before you go ahead, R & R on this chapter. You probably forgot everything after Chapter 20, haven't you?**

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**No pressure on the reviewing thing. It's all voluntary.**

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**TRAILER**

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**My trailer isn't anything similar to a "sneak peek" which gives an entire scene out so the reader could be shocked on how interesting the next couple of chapters are.**

**No.**

**My trailer follows the same format of the Avatar trailers you've seen. The trailer only shows random bursts of scenes that will occur during the finale. It's not much and I hope it helps. Also, recall previous Avatar trailers because it helps with the imagining part.**

**Why?**

**Why else? Every epic thing needs a form of enticement. If this is going to be my first and last fanfic about Avatar, might as well go out with something different.**

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**So take a deep breath.**

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**And here we go.**

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Everything starts out black. Empty

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Imagine the Sunghi horn playing. It is alone and the player is skilled. The tone that comes out is haunting and unnerving. Slowly, a chimed glass comes in to sharpen the tone.

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Everyone in the South Pole looks up to see black snow falling.

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The Sunghi horn is alone again and is playing with a more distinct resonance. Another chimed glass comes in to sharpen the tone. It is clear that things are slow and dramatic.

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Aang is in the middle of a large ice cavern, staring directly at Roku and surrounded by a million other Avatar spirits.

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Azula is squatting, staring into the sunset—waiting for her enemies to approach.

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Then, a haunting vocal comes in, apparently playing the Avatar theme tune. The Sunghi horn is now pushed into the background, holding the play into foundation.

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Katara and Aang are sharing a sad kiss.

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Large fragments of land are slowly disappearing in flashes of light—out of existence.

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Azula is pushing Khai's face to the ground with her foot.

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And then, a drum beats once.

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"_We're going to lose…_" says Sokka to a large audience. "_The Avatar is on their side now…The battle for our existence begins…_"

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Another drum beats in.

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"_This imbalance has gone on far enough…_" says Avatar Roku to Aang. "_We have no choice now… The Avatar Cycle must come to an end…_"

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The music keeps playing, now with an added drum to place in rhythm. The scenes continue playing. A blizzard. A desperate gathering of people in one place. Toph waking up.

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And slowly.

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Very slowly.

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The music disappears.

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And it comes back with amazing fury.

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There are sticks now. The drums are on fire. The slow build-up is now replaced with eye-rolling speed. The tone is fast now—too fast to keep up with. The music has lost control and the beating is unstoppable. The scenes flash on with a sign of urgency.

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Fireballs raining down from the sky, all shot from warships.

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A giant wave being bended by Katara atop a sky bison. The wave crashes upon four large ironclad ships.

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Zuko bending a large shield of white fire that instantly buffers the impact of two fiery missiles.

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Azula bursting into mad rage, shooting lightning wherever she pleases.

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The music keeps going, keeps playing.

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Aang is in a dark room, surrounded by four people.

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Sokka hugs Suki like they're about to die.

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Toph creates a large earth wall that immediately crumbles due to a fire blast. The fire blast hits her face.

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The haunting voices are one now, reaching higher and higher. It is a ghost of a song. The drums are beating in twos: _bum-bum…bum-bum…_

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An entire armada of warships, war balloons, and airships reveals itself out of the mist.

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Azula is in the Avatar State with all her energy encircling around her. She looks down and looks straight into you with those furious white eyes.

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The mountains are disappearing in flashes of white.

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Katara is bending a huge mist as she and the rest of the group are on a large but old warship.

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The theme tune returns with an explosive introduction brought along by the drums. As this moves on, an explosion happens right above the Southern Air Temple.

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Cascades of missiles shoot out of a large mist.

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Zuko is falling to his death.

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Katara is falling to her death.

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Azula Airbends Aang of the mountainside and he plummets to his death.

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Zhao is generating lightning.

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The drums beat.

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And beat.

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And beat.

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And beat.

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The music is spiraling out of control.

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It continues slowly now, at a much lessened pace.

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Toph forces two airships together with Metalbending.

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Aang is spinning around in his glider.

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Suki and Haru are firing rockets out of bamboo bazookas.

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The song slows even more. The drums are now cutting in with little interruptions. The voices are alone again.

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The sky is half-red, half-blue-white.

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The ground is shaking.

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And just as the music ends, an old man comes out of his hut, awakened by some sounds in the distance. He looks up and notices the fog. But in the fog are silhouettes of ghostly things—things that were thought to be nonexistent for a hundred years.

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And as the music goes silent, the old man breathes.

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"_Airbenders..._"


	21. The Avatar: Water

**Author's Note: IT IS WITH MY SADDEST REGRET THAT I SAY TO YOU NOW THAT THE BEGINNING OF THIS FINALE MARKS THE NEAR COMPLETION OF MY STORY—MY INTERPRETATION OF THE FOURTH BOOK. THIS STORY BEGAN WITH THE MERE FORMING OF IDEAS AND THE DEDICATION AND WILL TO COMPLETE THEM. I HAVE SPENT MANY TIRING NIGHTS POURING BLOOD, SWEAT, AND EFFORT INTO THIS STORY AND I AM GLAD TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE THOSE WHO LOVE IT AS MUCH AS I DO. BUT ENOUGH WITH MY RANTING. THE END IS NEAR. IT IS TIME TO FINISH. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR REVIEWS AND COMMENTS.**** THIS IS FOR ALL OF YOU AVATARDS OUT THERE!! THE STORY NEVER ENDS!**

**Disclaimer: I OWN NO PART OF AVATAR, THE LAST AIRBENDER. BUT THIS STORY AND THIS PLOT IS ENTIRELY OF MY OWN CREATION. ANY SIMILARITIES TO THE OFFICIAL AVATAR PLOTLINE ARE MERE COINCIDENCES OR ARE USED FOR NECESSARY EVENTS IN THE STORY. THE SAME GOES WITH THE CHARACTERS AND SETTINGS. THIS GOES FOR THE FOLLOWING CHAPTERS THAT SUCCEED THIS ONE.**

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_My grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days_

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_A time of peace_

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_When the Avatar kept balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads_

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_But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked_

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_Only the Avatar mastered all four elements_

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_Only he could stop the ruthless Firebenders_

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_But when the world needed him most_

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_He vanished_

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_A hundred years have passed and the Fire Nation is nearing victory in the war_

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_Two years ago, my father and the men of my tribe journeyed to the Earth Kingdom to help fight against the Fire Nation, leaving me and my brother to look after our tribe_

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_Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads and that the cycle is broken_

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_But I haven't lost hope_

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_I still believe that somehow_

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_The Avatar will return_

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_To save_

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_The world_

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Book 4

_Air_

Chapter twenty-one:

The Avatar: _Water_

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**South Pole, Southern Water Tribe****, Central Igloo**

The reports were flooding in.

Chief Hakkoda had his hands full. All the elders had been gathered inside the central igloo to discuss matters regarding the new uprising. The news had spread quickly all over the world. The Northern Water Tribe had been devastated. The Earth Kingdom capital, Ba Sing Se, had been seriously damaged. Ozai had regained control of the Fire Nation—and its massive military.

A new war was up front.

But as Hakkoda thought about things, he realized that there was something worse here. If Ozai had planned this all from the beginning, then there was another way this uprising could be perceived.

_The war had never ended._

The war was still continuing.

Chief Hakkoda turned to Bato who was bearing a scroll in his hands. The elder was assigned for reporting and he had already given the dreadful news. "Are you _sure?_" Hakkoda persisted. "Are you sure that Omashu has fallen _again_? How could this have happened?"

"Airships, sir," responded Bato. "Five of them surrounded the Earth Kingdom city and destroyed it. We're not sure if King Bumi was able to escape. Some of the escapees were arrested by the Fire Nation."

Chief Hakkoda flattened his face with his hands. The situation was getting worse with each passing day. He couldn't imagine another hundred years of war. He turned to all his men. "Are you telling me that all the world's greatest cities have fallen _back_ to the Fire Nation? All the cities have fallen—and we're the _last?_"

No one could look at the tribal leader.

"It's the Avatar, sir…" said one of the elders. "This new Avatar took down the Northern Water Tribe and Ba Sing Se. Now that the Fire Nation is in league with this new Avatar, they're unstoppable."

Hakkoda felt like grieving. "And now, the world is once again at the mercy of Ozai…"

Silence.

"Are there any reports concerning about Fire Nation ships approaching the South Pole?" asked Hakkoda to Bato. "Since we're the last great city left, they might be coming for us. We must be prepared when that happens."

Bato nodded. "I've already disaptached scouts to the northern regions of the South Pole to warn us in case something is coming. I've also sent a call to Huu and the other Swampbenders. The Fire Nation will have a lot to pay if they want to get through our icy fortress."

"And the Mechanist's submarines?" continued Hakkoda.

"They're all ready by the harbour," answered Bato.

Hakkoda nodded. And then, he switched his concern from political to fatherly. "What about my children? Have you heard any news from them?"

Bato sighed and shook his head. "I'm afraid not sir."

Chief Hakkoda was torn. The last reports coming from his children were from the Eastern Air Temple and the last time he checked, the Eastern Air Temple was blown to bits—destroyed by the Fire Nation. Hakkoda could only hope that somehow, his children were not among the rubble with their eyes open and their hearts dead. Hakkoda hoped that somehow, his children were still alive.

"We're here, dad."

Hakkoda looked up and saw five children standing in the opening of the igloo. He wouldn't admit to anyone that his eyes were getting teary.

Sokka, Katara, Aang, Toph, and Zuko.

Hakkoda smiled at all of them.

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o0o

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Toph was mumbling and garbling her words. She complained as she stepped on the soft snow with her large metal snow pads. She was hugging herself furiously and shaking despite the fact that she was wearing a fur coat with her hood over her head. There wasn't even any wind since the tribe's city was enclosed in a giant ice barrier, but Toph was still suffering. If Toph was going to pick her next vacation spot, she would definitely cross out frozen, snowy, icy cities.

"Toph?" Sokka called out. "Where are you going? The stables are this way."

Toph heard Sokka's voice to her left and moved towards that direction. "I can't _see!_ Everything's just snow and ice! I'm living inside a giant _hollow_ ice cream!"

Sokka smiled. "I know! Isn't it great?"

The two came towards the stables and found Appa and Ummi munching around on some crispy seaweed. Ummi was still snobbish around Appa, reminding him that she didn't want him around her just yet. Appa was grieving at that very loss. Also, Ummi was in a state of great depression because her long-time friend, Khai, was kidnapped and Ursa had walked away.

And as the two Sky Bisons munched on their seaweed, little children from the tribe came over to slide on Appa's tail or ride on Appa's head. One of the little girls was stuffing Appa's ear with snow. Needless to say, Appa got irritated.

Sokka walked to Appa and caught the creature staring at Ummi. "She still hasn't talked to you, huh?"

Appa moaned with agreement.

Sokka rubbed his thick fur. "Cheer up, partner. I don't think Ummi's going to walk out on you. She just needs time to settle things, you know? Girls are a lot more sensitive about emotions and stuff. When we get Khai back, you can sweep her off her feet—er—toes…"

Appa nodded with dismay.

_If_ they could get Khai back.

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**South Pole, Snow Fields**

Aang's spirit was shattered. And like any shattered mirror, Aang's spirit seemed beyond repair. On their way to the South Pole, Aang had been caught crying, moaning, shivering, and howling. The boy felt like a sea shell with the insides fully scraped. He was dishevelled and torn. It should be said that many things that contributed to this lack of self-esteem.

The first soul-breaker was Aang's Avatar Spirit being taken away. That had been more of a personal blow for Aang. With the spirit gone, Aang didn't just lose most of his power. He lost a part of himself—something that made him less of a person. The taking of his Avatar Spirit also removed him of his initial purpose—the purpose to save the world.

The destruction of the air temples was also another contributor to Aang's burdens. Ever since he had found out about the Air Nomad genocide, he had temporarily locked his anger in a little box inside his mind. But the temples' destruction concentrated Aang's isolation and poisoned his reasoning. Long gone were the days of Aang's childishness and youth. What took its place was despair and loneliness. Aang took things seriously now.

But all of the things said so far were not enough to break Aang's hope completely. Aang found some solace in his ability as an Airbender and the possibility that only _he_ could stop Azula—which was fitting and poetic.

But Khai got kidnapped.

Khai's kidnapping was the final blow that tore Aang to pieces. Azula would find means to get Khai to teach her Airbending, making her the second Airbender in this world. Aang even felt some responsibility for Khai's kidnapping. If he had watched over him more, maybe he wouldn't have been captured. Now, things were too late. Now, Azula couldn't be stopped.

Aang couldn't eat, couldn't sleep. His face was dry and his body was sore. His mind was tired and exhausted. The young monk looked ages older than he was supposed to look.

It is a sad thing to glance at a shattered soul.

.

o0o

.

Aang's broken spirit would have many effects in the final days to come. He would often stumble at simple obstacles. If he was going to battle Azula a final time, the winner would already be clear. Sure, there would be a few throwing of punches and kicks. But at the end, Azula would just shoot a bolt of lightning through his heart.

But that could change.

Aang wasn't lost yet. A shattered spirit can be put back together. On this day of days, Aang—whether he expected it or not—would have the life breathed back into him. Aang's healing would have to be set in three stages: the emotional, the personal, and the functional. Alone, these things would have been superficial and temporary. But together, they would shake Aang's soul and wipe the tears from his eyes.

By dawn on the day after tomorrow, Aang would wonder if some great being had somehow manipulated everything to reshape his purpose.

And Aang's recovery began with something simple yet fundamental.

Fun.

.

o0o

.

Katara was pulling Aang by the hand. She had asked permission to leave the city boundaries for a few moments and the guards had allowed it. "Aang… Come on… You can't sulk all day!"

Aang tried to resist. "_Yes_. Yes I _can_."

Katara raised her hands high into the air, feigning defeat. "_Oh_, I give up! You're _hopeless!_ We might as well go back inside and rest." As she said this, Katara cast a glance at Aang, hoping that her words would injure him and give him some guilt. Then, Aang would come running back into her arms and they would—

"Okay," said Aang drearily. "'Going back' sounds good to me."

Katara grabbed his hand quickly. "I was only _kidding_! We can't go back now… I have to find a way to turn your frown upside-down."

Aang eyed Katara. "And how are you going to do that?"

Katara pulled Aang over a large snow mound. The moment they were on top of it, they were amazed by the sheer spectacle laid out before them. It was something to see actually. The landscape was breathtaking and the inhabitants of the area seemed pleased with it.

But Aang wasn't amazed one bit. "This isn't funny Katara."

Katara pointed to the creatures down below. "Come on, Aang. You did this for me and it brought back my spirit. I suspect it'll bring back yours."

Aang turned away and started walking. "Forget it. I'm not going penguin sledding. There are things more important than foolery."

Katara sighed. "I was afraid you were going to say that… That's why I brought _this_!"

And Katara pulled Aang by the collar and stuck two pieces of dead fish into his garments. "_Hey!_" Aang yelped. He wriggled and squirmed, trying to pick the fish out of his clothes. But Aang soon realized that the fish wasn't his only problem.

Down below, the penguins were causing quite a stir. They waddled towards Aang, trying to get up the mound because they could smell the fishes in his clothing. But Aang was too high and their little feet didn't allow them to climb. Aang turned to Katara. "Looks like your trick didn't work. Those penguins can't get up to me and all you did was put a fish in my clothes—_which I still can't get out!_"

Katara had a devious smile on her face. "Oh…but I'm not finished yet…"

And Katara kicked Aang—down the snow mound.

"_Hey—Ahhh!!_"

Aang landed on the back of a large penguin and was quickly caught up in a speedy descent. He and the penguin began sliding down the slope in an accelerated rate. The wind gnashed on Aang's bald head and he couldn't help but scream like a little girl. "_Get me down from this! Stop this! Stop!_"

Katara was all too happy to answer Aang's pleas. Instead, she jumped down the slope onto the back of another penguin and started sledding towards Aang. She caught up to him and her happy laughter was too annoying for Aang—something that could make him sick.

Aang considered his situation. Two dead fishes in his clothes. An uncontrolled sledding penguin on his back. Katara laughing like a fool as they sped down a snowy slope.

His day just couldn't have gone better.

You could tell Aang was filled with sarcasm today.

.

o0o

.

When their little ride was over, Aang was in no mood for "happy". Katara's cheerfulness was too trite and exaggerated. Aang had to find a way to get away from her. All Aang wanted to do right now was sleep away his troubles. But right now, he was stuck with the cold. The only silver lining he could see in this situation was that he had finally taken out the fish from his underwear.

"Do you want to go again?" Katara asked happily.

"No."

"Do you want to try on a more challenging snow field?"

"No."

"Do you want to have a hug?" Katara asked, growing desperate.

"No."

"Are you feeling okay?"

"No."

Katara sighed. "I don't get it. I thought this should work. It worked for me and I thought it would work for you.

"Maybe I really can't help you. I've seen sad people, but nothing like this. What happened to you, Aang? Where's the old happy kid that used to be my friend because I don't really like this 'new' Aang? Can you bring back the old one?

"I miss him so much."

Aang averted his gaze. "He's not coming back."

Katara turned to the heavens and howled. "_I'm tired of this! I'm so, so tired! You really are impossible, you know that?_"

But Aang wasn't listening to her. He was thinking about Katara's earlier words. "What did you mean, '_used_ to be my friend'? I still _am_ your friend!"

Katara crossed her arms. "Apparently not. I was friends with the _old_ Aang. You're just some horrible sad thing that took his place!"

"What do you want me to _say_?" Aang yelled as he stood up. "Do you want me to dance around and roll in the snow? Do you want me to be happy and _joyful?_ And while I'm doing so, we can all pretend that this war is just nothing—that I wouldn't do _anything_ about it! Is that what you want? Do you want me to _forget_?"

Katara was on the verge of tears. "Not 'forget', Aang! I just want you to _care!_"

The conversation ground to a frosty halt.

"I remember a friend of mine," said Katara as she wiped her tears. "He would smile and he would laugh even at the face of danger. He was strong despite the fact that he was losing. And when everything I knew fell to pieces, his smile would always break the day.

"I miss him so much, Aang—you wouldn't _believe_… Because something terrible happened to him. It changed his life forever. Now, he's always sad…so sad… He won't listen to me and he barely smiles anymore… He's consumed by vengeance and hatred—the things he told me _never_ to die for. He became a little monster all on his own… and now, he wouldn't even go penguin sledding with me…"

Aang backed off, keeping a straight face. Even in these situations, Aang wasn't about to compromise his seriousness.

"You've lost him Katara… He's gone forever…" said Aang with conviction.

Katara cried even more and her mittens were smeared with tears. She started walking back, leaving Aang behind.

"_I was afraid of that…_" she gasped.

And as Katara walked away crying, Aang had infected her. A broken spirit can break other spirits. Katara's spirit was now broken. Aang's depression was infectious. And despite Katara's efforts, she felt that Aang was beyond saving. She felt that his soul was beyond repair. And so, the only thing Katara was able to do was break her own spirit.

But Katara efforts weren't all in vain.

She had failed to see something magnificent when they sledded down the snow slope. During their little slide, Aang found himself screaming as he and his penguin flew off a snowy ramp that sent them somersaulting in the air. Katara was too busy with her own laughter to notice Aang.

Because an amazing thing had happened to him.

If Katara had seen his face, she would have noticed that Aang was actually having fun.

.

.

.

**South Pole, Southern Water Tribe, Central Igloo**

Katara angrily walked into the central igloo. But she stopped herself from getting mad when she realized that the elders of her tribe were busily making plans. Among the tribesmen was Zuko, who was helping Chief Hakkoda. Everyone seemed busy with something. Katara had deduced that bad news had arrived.

Katara sat next to her father. "What's going on? What happened?"

Her father only said two words but it was enough to startle Katara.

"Fire Nation."

Katara stared intently into her father's eyes. "What? Here?"

Chief Hakkoda shook his head. "No. But Fire Lord Zuko just received a detailed message that the Fire Nation is planning a first strike on all the nations of the world in two days. The Avatar is with them too. This is big, Katara. Since the big cities are gone, everyone is helpless. The world is open to capture."

"But not all the big cities are gone," Katara said. "There's still here. There's still the South Pole."

Zuko sighed. "That's the next problem. They're coming here."

Katara's eyes widened. "When?"

With that said, Bato lay down a large map in front of Katara. The map had all sorts of markings and circles. Bato's finger landed on a large white archipelago north of the South Pole. "Our scouts say that a massive armada has settled down in these group of islands—the old Southern Air Nomad territory. They've got airships, warships, and war balloons all festering in these islands and no doubt with all those war machines, they would pulverize the Southern Water Tribe. We're not sure exactly when they'll arrive, but we can expect that they're coming"

Katara didn't like the sound of "pulverize". "Why are they there?" asked Katara. "They won't do any good unless they attack us head-on."

"They're trying to trap us," said Zuko. "The Southern Air Nomad territory is directly north of this city. There's no way we could escape without crossing that zone. My father is planning to squeeze the life out of the South Pole."

Katara pointed south of the map. "We could head south. That way, we wouldn't have to get caught in their attacks."

"No," said her father. "Heading south would mean crossing miles and miles of frozen wasteland. The people of our city wouldn't last a few days in a blizzard if ever one appeared. We have to make everyone stay here."

That made sense, but Katara could tell that her father was keeping something from her. He didn't indicate that _he_ would be staying behind. "You're not telling me everything. What are _you_ going to do?"

Hakkoda sighed. There was no point in sugar-coating this conversation. "I and the other Water Tribe warriors are going to the Fire Nation to stop Ozai. We could use the submarines to safely cross under the Fire Nation Navy. If we could stop Ozai, then maybe we could stop this war from happening."

"But that would leave the Southern Water Tribe open for attack!" Katara spoke.

"No it won't," said Bato. "Our city is a fortress. Even airships will have problems breaking through our Ice Mountain. We can seal off the top of the mountain to prevent anything from coming down from there. Also, your grandfather and the other Waterbenders would be left behind to stand guard the moment the Fire Nation attacks the city."

"So who's going to power the submarines?" asked Katara.

"We won't be using the submarines until we meet up with the Swampbenders a little farther north from our city," continued Bato. "They didn't want to meet here since it's cold. Hopefully, they'll be wearing some pants this time. The Mechanist himself and his people are safe on Whale-Tail Island, performing experiments. But I have a feeling you would be a little bit more comfortable without them."

"But you can't leave us!" Katara shouted to her father. "The people can flee with you! _We _can leave with you! I'm sure the submarines could fit us all!"

"No," said Hakkoda. "Someone has to stay behind to protect the Spirit Oasis. The Ocean and the Moon spirits cannot be killed. If they do get killed, then we won't have a chance for victory."

"But who will protect us?"

"Your grandfather will protect you," said Hakkoda.

"This isn't right. If you really want to end this war, then you should go fight against the Avatar!" Katara said. "Azula was the one who restarted this war! If we want the peace back, then we have to give Aang a chance and take back the Avatar spirit."

All the elders looked at each other. The mention of Aang's name had brought dismay.

"I'm sorry, Katara," said her father. "But I don't think Aang can help us at this point…"

"What are you _saying?_" Katara stood up. "Of course Aang can help us! He's been helping us all this time! If you forgot, he saved the _world!_ Aang is our _only_ chance to stop this war from starting up all over again!"

"We would _like_ to believe in him," said Bato. Using the word "like" seemed like an accusation. "We would, but we can't. Aang needs rest and a chance to recuperate. Aang doesn't have enough strength to fight this new Avatar."

"Are you saying you don't _believe_ in him?" Katara questioned.

No one could answer. Even Zuko looked away when that question was said.

"I can't believe you people!" Katara screamed. "Aang is the Avatar and—"

"_Was_ the Avatar, child," interrupted an elder. "He _was_ the Avatar."

"And you're just going to leave it at that?" Katara shrieked. "I know Aang isn't much anymore and I know that everything has gone wrong, but you people sound like you've given up on him!"

But Zuko stared into Katara's eyes. "Admit it, Katara… You've given up on him too…"

Katara stepped back. "No! I haven't! I would never! I—I… I _can't_… I… _won't…_"

Katara's stuttering and denial only made everyone feel bad. Zuko knew it. Everyone knew it. Whether they would believe in it or not, Aang had lost his muster. Aang was no longer the shining knight that was thought to rescue a lost soul. Aang had lost even his chance to save himself.

Aang had lost the ability to give people hope.

.

.

.

_And lightning struck Aang on the back__. The bolt of electricity surged through his body, coursing through his brain. The surge of electricity blanketed Aang's own cries of bloody murder. He had never felt death up close._

_The last Airbender._

_Encased inside a rock, Aang could feel the tightness of his breath and the heat all around him. Ozai was cooking him alive with the use of Sozin's comet. Sweat trickled down his forehead. He was so close to death now—so close to being finished. Aang was in no position to fight back. And what made it worse was that Aang was prepared to die. And overhead, Sozin's comet streaked by, as if mocking him._

_The last Airbender._

_Throughout the world, the temples were burning. People were crying and screaming of their own death. The smell of corpses was hideous. Fire Nation soldiers storming the air temples with their spears and fire blasts. Aang could see Sister Lio fighting back to protect the other children. The soldiers were ruthless and their methods were torture. Everyone was screaming. Monk Gyatso fought back a dozen Firebenders but fell despite his efforts._

_The last Airbender._

_All the Airbenders dying. Their cries were unheard of. An entire nation slaughtered off the face of the earth. And all because one man decided to hunt them down for world conquest. He had to remove the Avatar out of the equation. But the irony was that the person he had sought to kill had survived through it all._

_The last Airbender._

_Aang watched as the Western, the Northern, and the Eastern Air Temples were reduced to ashes and rubble. Aang watched as his Avatar Spirit was taken away. He watched alone. Aang watched alone because he was alone. No one could ever feel his kind of pain. No one could ever believe the intensity of his loneliness._

_The last Airbender._

_And then, Aang saw himself facing Azula for the last time. Azula is Airbending him. And then, she finally strikes him down with a lightning blast. It kills him instantly. The shock from life to death is eternal. First, there is pain, and then, there is nothing. Aang had seen the end of his story._

_The last Airbender is dead._

_Aang is so alone._

.

.

.

**So****uth Pole, Southern Water Tribe**

Aang woke up, his mind still swimming in his thoughts. He touched his chest as if he had already been struck by the lightning bolt. His eyes dart through the darkness of his igloo. He was sleeping alone in this snow tomb. The fact that the word "tomb" came into his mind already showed how frantic he became. Aang felt a new sense of horror.

_I can't die… I can't… If I die, the Air Nomads will be gone forever…_

Aang rushed to put on his clothes. He had a plan—a plan to preserve the Air Nomads. He would have to do it soon before the world fell out of place completely. He had the responsibility now. The more he placed his life in danger, the more the Air Nomads would disappear. He was pressured to stay alive.

_I have to keep the Air Nomads alive… I have to keep them alive for as long as I can…_

When Aang had his plan in his head, he took out a peace of paper, wrote some words on it, took his staff, and left his igloo.

The piece of paper waited patiently for a reader.

.

o0o

.

Sokka could only nod as Katara and Zuko finished their explanation of Hakkoda's plan. "Sounds like a good enough plan for me," he said without much hesitance. "Sure the city would be bombarded by missiles and fireballs, but we've handled that before and I bet you, Pakku, and the other Waterbenders could handle that easy."

"You're just saying that to make us feel better, aren't you?" asked Toph.

Sokka gave her a thumbs-up sign. "Yup."

"You're right, Sokka," Katara acknowledged. "We can fight back, but it's not our staying behind that worries me. It's that no one's lifting a finger to stop Azula and give back Aang's Avatar Spirit. Who knows? Dad could stop Ozai and the world would still be in peril because of Azula."

Zuko shook his head. "No one's lifting a finger because everyone's too afraid to fight her. Why do you think my father and the rest of the Fire Nation spent years and years hunting down the Avatar? The Avatar is the most powerful thing in the world. Look what Azula did. She destroyed the walls of Ba Sing Se, flattened down the Northern Water Tribe, and forced a lot of people to switch sides.

"If you think about it, Azula has done more damage in a few months than the Fire Nation could deal in a hundred years."

"So what do we do?" asked Toph. "We're the only ones who seem to care. If it were up to me, we'd go up to her right now and punch the red out of her eyes."

Katara looked at the snowy ground. "It won't be that easy. Without Aang, no one could steal back the Avatar Spirit. And from what I've heard, Azula has an entire fleet of Fire Nation machines at her disposal. The only possible way we could get to her and survive is if we had an army to match that kind of fire power."

Sokka was rubbing his chin when an idea struck him. "An army, huh?" If a light bulb had popped up over his head, it would have suited the moment. "I think…if you're looking for an army…then I know where to get one…"

"How?" Zuko questioned. "With Omashu and Ba Sing Se gone, there will be no Earth Kingdom forces to help us fight. Your father and his men are going to the Fire Nation to stop my father. Your friend, the Mechanist, is on Whale-Tail Island. There's no army left."

Sokka smiled contentedly. "Ah, _but there is_…" And with some over-exaggerated theatrics, Sokka pointed to the sky and announced: "It is the greatest army in the world! The army—_OF THE OLD PEOPLE!!_"

.

o0o

.

"_No_," said Pakku sharply.

"Why not?" said Sokka, suddenly deflated by the answer. "Doesn't the Order of the White Lotus fight for peace, freedom, and all that good-stuff?"

Master Pakku sipped on a warm bowl of noodles. The Waterbending master didn't seem too pleased with this predicament. "The Order of the White Lotus doesn't _fight_. The order protects people and helps restore balance. We are not an army for hire, Sokka."

"Then you can help us!" Toph cheered. "Because there're a whole lot of things that need _restoring_ right now."

"Please, Pakku," begged Katara. "You and the other members helped liberate Ba Sing Se. Why can't you and the order help us now?"

"The liberation of Ba Sing Se was only possible because a Grand Lotus had sent a call for the gathering," said Pakku in a matter-of-factly manner. "Only such decisions can be made by the highest ranks. If it wasn't for General Iroh, then the Earth Kingdom capital might be Fire Nation territory by now."

"Then I can tell my uncle," said Zuko. "I can tell him to send out a message to all of the White Lotus members. Then, we can fight Azula."

Pakku shook his head. "Unfortunately, I myself have been trying to contact your uncle. I've recently sent dozens of letters about this new Avatar business to him. But your uncle hasn't replied. In fact, I have no idea where your uncle is."

Zuko lowered his head. He knew about his uncle's disappearance too. Mai had told him as much in a letter.

"What am I doing even _talking_ to you people?" Pakku snorted. "Matters _this_ delicate can never be spoken to _non-members_! The Order of the White Lotus is strict about membership."

"It's true," Zuko huffed, remembering his ordeal with his uncle and the members who lived by the desert.

"Pakku, please…" Katara begged, placing her hands together. "I'm asking you as a granddaughter… You and the other members are our only hope now…"

Toph growled. "Can't you just make us one of your members?"

Master Pakku shook his head. "Membership is not that easy. There is training involved and the teaching of philosophy. I'm sure you kids would love two weeks of apprenticeship and ideals."

"_Two weeks!_" Toph exclaimed. "The Fire Nation is going to blow us to _smithereens by then!_"

Sokka budged Katara's shoulder and she turned around. Sokka pointed to the igloo's opening, motioning her to step outside. Katara had a feeling he had something important to say. So, while Toph, Zuko, and Pakku argued inside, Katara and Sokka stepped out.

.

o0o

.

"What is it?" Katara asked.

"I think I have a way to convince Pakku," Sokka said with a smile.

"How?"

Sokka placed his hand in his pocket. "Do you remember that time when I was trained with Master Piandao? I bet he was training me to be a member… He taught me all sorts of ideals… Maybe he wanted me to be part of the White Lotus."

Katara shrugged. "Maybe… But I don't think Pakku's going to be convinced with a simple story…"

"_I know_," Sokka smiled. "But maybe he'll be convinced with this…"

And Sokka revealed the little White Lotus tile in his pocket.

.

o0o

.

"_PAKKU!_"

Sokka re-entered the igloo with much annunciation and drama. His chin was up and his eyes were intense. He looked at the old master and seemed prepared to squash him. The old man looked at the boy with much annoyance.

"_What is it this time…?_"

Sokka raised a violating finger at Pakku—the fingertip was edges away from Pakku's nose. "_PAKKU!_"

"_WHAT?_"

"You _WILL_ help us! You—and the Order of the White Lotus!" Sokka announced. It sounded like an order, actually.

"If you were paying attention, you would have remembered what I said…" said Pakku overbearingly. "These situations can _only_ be talked with members of the order…"

"AH!" Sokka shouted as he pulled the White Lotus tile from pocket. "Only with members, huh…? Then I bet _THIS_ would clear things up!" And Sokka placed the Lotus tile by Pakku's face.

Pakku stared at the Pai Sho tile in the boy's hand.

The old master studied the tile for a few seconds.

Pakku analyzed every inch of the wooden piece.

Finally, he looked up at Sokka and said—

"It's _just_ a Lotus tile, Sokka…"

.

o0o

.

After that failed and fruitless attempt to get the Order of the White Lotus on their side, Zuko, Katara, Sokka, and Toph decided to throw some ideas as they walked around the city. As they walked, they could see that the people of the city no longer frolicked around. They were waiting for the inevitable. They were waiting for the horror of war to descend upon their icy shore. And as always, the wait was unbearable.

Momo flew in and landed on Sokka's shoulder.

"Hey Momo… How's it been?" asked Sokka cheerfully.

Momo spat on Sokka's face.

Meanwhile, Toph was still unsettled about staying behind. "Can't we just leave?" she said to Katara. "You said it yourself. The Southern Water Tribe can handle an attack from the Fire Nation and the Waterbenders here could fight back. While they're doing that, we can sneak out and get to Azula! Think about it! We're a small group and we could probably slip through the Fire Nation army. Come on! We have to leave this place!" Toph tapped the ground with her large metal snow pads. "We _really_ have to leave this place. The cold is giving my toes _frostbites_…"

"We can't leave that easily…" Katara sighed. "The Fire Nation could go to the Ocean and the Moon spirits and kill them. As long as the spirits are here, then they're in danger. Someone has to stay behind and protect the Spirit Oasis."

"_I am sooo angry right now!_" Toph stomped. "Every time I have a plan, there're always a _million_ of problems that stop it! My feet are frosty! I can't see! It's so, so _cold!_ And you people think I _care_ about some stupid _Spirit Oasis?_ _I WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE!_" shrilled Toph.

Then, after that outburst, Toph crossed her arms.

"What in the _world_ is a _Spirit Oasis_ anyway?"

.

.

.

**South Pole, Southern Water Tribe, Spirit Oasis**

"Someone pinch me…" breathed Toph. "Someone tell me right now that I died and went to heaven… There's _grass_ here… And more importantly, there's _earth_…" Toph couldn't believe what she was "seeing". She couldn't believe at all that she could "see" in this place.

"In this frosty land, in this overgrown ice cube, in this cold and horrible place, you people actually managed to grow _grass_ in the middle of all this snow…" Toph was hysterical. She kissed the ground and in doing so, got mud all over her face. And you would think that she would care. No. Mud on her face was a favourite pastime.

"_Thank you Ocean and Moon spirits! I love you so much!_"

And Toph bawled out like a baby. She was not embarrassed to do so.

"It's nice, isn't it? But it won't be much if the Fire Nation comes here and destroys it," Katara said.

"Let them _try_," Toph dared.

Then, Sokka entered the hut and looked at Katara. "I'm sorry for breaking this tearful moment with you girls, but my dad is calling us, Katara. He wants to say his final goodbye before he leaves. The men are ready to go. They've already said their goodbyes. We're the only ones that haven't."

Katara nodded. "Sure. I'm coming…" And as the two left the hut, Katara turned to her brother with a proud smile on her face. "I'm surprised at you, Sokka. Dad's leaving again but you're not going… You're already old enough to go fight with dad and yet, you're staying here. Did you even think about going?"

Sokka nodded. "All the time."

"Then why won't you go with them?"

Sokka looked up. "Because being a man means staying where you're needed the most. And for me, that's here protecting you and everyone else."

Katara nudged Sokka's arm with her elbow. "You have grown."

"And besides," Sokka chided with a silly smile. "How are you guys going to survive _without_ me anyway?"

Katara growled. "I judged too soon."

.

.

.

**South Pole, Southern Water Tribe, Ice docks**

There is a terrible burden that goes to the person who has to say goodbye. The burden is tearful and it wrenches the mind. Hakkoda was accustomed to such burdens. How many times had he said goodbye to his family for the greater good of mankind? Twice? Thrice? And how many times had he actually regretted them? A million times. And here was the chieftain now, ready to commit himself once again to the burden of farewell.

In the man's strong arms were his children, hugging him for the billionth time. Hakkoda may think himself strong, but it is always those that are left behind that are stronger than those who leave them.

"Hakkoda," came Bato's voice. "The watchmen have spotted a fleet of warships headed this way. They will arrive within the hour. If we don't leave now, we may not be able to bypass them."

Hakkoda nodded and pushed his children away. "Both of you take care. Keep everyone together and protect our home. Pakku knows every inch of the city and he can help you with anything. Goodbye…"

Katara and Sokka nodded. "Goodbye…"

.

o0o

.

As Hakkoda and Bato stepped onto the deck of their ship, Hakkoda couldn't help but fancy a question to his friend.

"Bato," said Hakkoda. "You've stuck through with me in the thickest and thinnest moments of my life—and even the rather crazy moments… I just want to ask if I did a good thing when I left home before to help the Earth Kingdom forces in the war. Did I?"

Bato nodded. "I believe so. You once told me that you knew you could do nothing by waiting the war out. You believed that by doing the greater good, you could help in the struggle to victory. We did win after all."

Hakkoda looked past the ice walls to the horizon.

"No we didn't…"

Bato sighed. Somehow, he knew, Hakkoda was right.

"What about now?" asked Hakkoda. "Did I do the right thing now? Or should I have stayed behind."

For a moment there, Bato didn't answer. The man had his gaze transfixed to the sky. Hakkoda asked again. "Bato? Can you hear me?" Bato wasn't listening. Hakkoda looked at the man's face and realized that the man wasn't just looking at the sky, he was horrified of it. A cold dread had seeped into his friend's expressions. Something had spooked this man.

When Hakkoda looked at the sky, he instantly understood.

Snow was falling.

Black snow.

.

o0o

.

When it comes to weather and emotions, people often link them together. When one is happy, they often match it to a perfect bright and sunny day. Sadness usually spells a storm. Storms are usually linked to grief and isolation—the quiet falling of rain is one good example. But rain isn't the saddest form of weather associated with feelings. The saddest form is snow.

Snow spells isolation far greater than any storm. Though the darkening of the clouds can be a sign of doom, nothing says sadness like falling snow. While rain is noisy and disconcerting, snow is silent and bleak. It is a very cold thought to think of a man dying as it snowed rather than a man dying as it rained. The isolation that accompanies it is horrible.

And what then of black snow?

Black snow is an abomination.

As the people of the water tribe looked up to the sky and saw the fluffs of black snow descending from the heavens, a stunned silence came over them. First, rationality is erased. No one can comprehend what is about to happen. Fear and terror mixes into the fold. Then, chaos will follow. Cries and screams will echo through the rebuilt city. People will be running everywhere. And then, death.

As Hakkoda looked back at his home, he began having second thoughts.

From his spot, he and the rest of the fleet could easily make it out of the area before the first of the Fire Navy ships arrived. Or, they could turn back now and protect their city. That decision rested completely on him.

"We keep moving," said Hakkoda to his men.

He would think about the consequences later.

"Keep moving."

.

.

.

**South Pole, Southern Water Tribe**

Trumpets and drums were blaring throughout the water tribe. The alarms were being raised. Everyone was turning to the sky, watching the black snow fall and pile up on their land. Sokka was pulling on her sister's hand. "We have to _go!_ If we're going to defend our city, then everyone who can fight will be by the north wall!"

Katara pulled her hand away from her brother's. "You go ahead and warn Zuko and Toph in the oasis. I'll get Aang."

All around them, people were going into panic. Mothers and children were being piled up in the southern corner of the city, away from the side the Fire Navy ships would attack. Warriors that had been left behind and Northern Water Tribe Waterbenders were rushing to the north wall, ready to protect the city. This was it. The moment of truth.

The last free city on earth was about to be attacked.

Sokka nodded to her sister. "Alright… Go get Aang and we'll meet at the Spirit Oasis."

Katara couldn't almost hear Sokka's voice in the loud echoing of alarms. But she got the gist of it and the two parted ways.

.

o0o

.

When Sokka entered the Spirit Oasis, Toph was the first one to greet him.

"What's going on?" she asked. "What's with all the drums and horns?"

"Our city's about to be attacked," said Sokka bluntly. He then turned to Zuko. "I hope you're ready because before you were on the side that attacked _us_. Now, you're on the receiving end—and trust me—it isn't pretty."

Zuko nodded. "I'm ready. We're all ready. But where's your sister?"

"She's gone to get Aang," Sokka answered. "She'll be here in a few—"

Then, Katara stepped into the hut. Her face was pale and her eyes were large. She was panting heavily, trying to speak, but her words would not come out. Kneeling on the grassy ground helped her regained her bearings, but she was still out of breath. But whatever Katara needed to say was unnecessary. Sokka could already tell that something was wrong because of two clues: Katara was rarely out of breath and Aang wasn't with her.

Toph could also tell what had happened.

"Aang's gone, hasn't he? He ran away again." she said without much surprise.

Katara nodded.

Sokka sighed. "I hope he finds a large spirit creature with some _teeth_ this time because we'll really need it if we're going to protect this city from the Fire Nation. A giant whale-shark would be nice."

"It's worse," said Katara.

"How worse?" asked Zuko.

"Remember how Aang usually leaves us without us knowing? Remember how he always leaves on his glider without saying goodbye?" asked Katara.

"Yeah?" said the other three in unison.

"Well, it's _worse_ this time…" Katara said with tearful eyes. "He left a note."

.

.

.

_I know this is selfish on my part_

_But at least I get to say goodbye this time_

_Who knows? We could meet each other after a hundred years_

.

.

.

Zuko reread the note again. This time, he read it aloud so Toph could hear. But reading it aloud also brought pain to Katara as she was slowly sinking away. She was a mix of anger and grief. Sokka could only pat her on the shoulder. Saying goodbye is a hard thing. But the hardest always comes to those who are left behind.

"What does he mean, '_after a hundred years_'?" asked Zuko.

"I don't know…" said Katara. She was too emotional to think about it right now.

Sokka sighed. He had to be strong for his sister. "We can take Appa and search the South Pole. If Aang's on his glider, than he couldn't have gotten far. I suspect he's gone maybe three miles down south. Going north would mean going after the Fire Nation and I don't think Aang wants to do that right about now. Who's with me?"

"I'm going," said Katara, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Me too," said Zuko.

"I'm not," came Toph's voice.

Katara glared angrily at Toph. "What do you _mean_ you're not going? We're _all_ going!"

Looking at Toph, anyone could tell that she was sincerely irritated and angry. "No offence to Aang, but he's really a wimpy _jerk_. Every time we count on him, he always runs away. He's a coward and he should know that! You guys can go look for him all you want, but I'm staying here—where I can _see_!"

"How _dare_ you!" Katara shrieked as she lunged for Toph. But Sokka grabbed his sister in the nick of time and pulled her away from her grasp. Katara was not yet finished though. "You call Aang a jerk, but in reality, _you're _the jerk! Aang's been failing a lot recently and you're _blaming_ him for running away? You wouldn't know what it would be like in his place!"

Toph stood up and confronted. "You're right! I don't! But even _I_ wouldn't run away if I had been beaten down a _million_ times! I'd fight to the _death!_ You can look for him if you want, but I'm staying _here!_"

Katara tried pulling away from her brother. "Why _you—!_"

"Katara! Toph! Stop!" Sokka yelled. "Toph can stay here if that's what she wants. She can't see out in the snow and she won't be able to help us look for Aang. Besides, someone has to stay behind and guard the oasis. While she stays here, _we_ go and look for Aang. _Is that clear for the both of you_?"

"Fine," Katara breathed angrily.

"Whatever," said Toph.

Sokka turned to Zuko. The young Firebender didn't seem to care about the argument at all, but rather on the note Aang had left behind. "What about you, Zuko? Having any second doubts?"

Zuko shook his head. "No. I'm just trying to understand what this message means. Why would he choose to write, '_a hundred years_'?"

Sokka rubbed his temples as he thought of some connection. "It's just ironic," said Sokka. "The last time he ever left a note before he ran away was when he left the Southern Air Temple. But the problem was, Aang got caught in a storm and he had to freeze himself in an iceberg. Katara was able to free him after a hundred years and—"

A hundred years.

Sokka turned to Zuko. "You don't think…?"

Zuko also realized what Sokka had concluded. "Leaving a note. A hundred years. Do you think he's going to do it again?"

"He might," said Sokka. "Aang might very well freeze himself for another hundred years."

.

.

.

**South Pole, Frozen tundra south of the water tribe**

A blizzard had swept in from the west and was moving right across the large frozen plains of the South Pole. Many believed for some time that it snowed in the poles, but this was a lie. New snow hardly ever falls on the poles. Blizzards only stir up the fallen snow, creating a look as if snow was falling again. In reality, only some inches of snow were added after hundreds or thousands of years.

And caught in that blizzard was a boy on his glider.

The decision to hide for another hundred years or more was Aang's barefaced idea. It was his plan to preserve the last Airbender—to preserve himself. He should have thought of it before. By keeping himself frozen in another iceberg or ice cavern, Aang could outlast the generations. There would be no need to place himself in unnecessary risk.

Aang could live for thousands of years.

His plan was simple:

Aang would freeze himself again. When someone would find him trapped in the ice, Aang would be free to see the different changes all over the world. Aang could make new friends and eat all the food he wanted. Then, Aang would refreeze himself until someone again would find him after some years. The cycle would keep repeating and Aang would still be fine. It was a foolproof plan and it was his way to fool time and death.

An Airbender that could outlast the centuries.

But there were problems tugging his heart.

It had taken considerable amounts of effort to pull himself to the sky and just leave all his friends. He felt selfish for leaving them behind to fend for themselves like that. And of course, Azula would be Avatar and she could change everything. But Aang knew he couldn't place himself in all that danger. Not anymore.

Aang's role was to survive.

But even surviving turned out to be a problem.

_The storm! The storm! I can't get out of this blizzard!_

While other weather anomalies attacked the body through pain, blizzards attacked the body through the senses, creating confusion and slow death. Blizzards would cause complete white-outs. Imagine everything turning completely white. It was the opposite of not being able to see. A white-out allowed you to see—but it only allowed you to see _white_. Aang would have a hard time finding his nose in this blizzard. Blizzards also reduce people's core body temperature. If Aang would not be able to find warmth soon, he would fall out of the sky when his organs froze to death.

And there was another more immediate problem.

Aang was too busy focusing on where he was going that he could not see ice forming over his glider wings. Once the ice got thick enough, Airbending would be impossible and the glider's weight would force them to the ground below.

_I can't see where I'm going!_

Like all regrets, Aang was having them at the worst moments. This plan wasn't working as he thought it should. He did not anticipate a blizzard at all. Maybe he could still go back—_if he knew where "back" was_…

And Aang started to spiral into a dive.

The ice on Aang's glider wings had thickened enough to stop airflow. Aang could not tell where he was going, but he knew he was spiralling and falling. The swishing of his gut told him about it. His heart told him he was losing breath. His mind told him he was about to die.

And here was the irony: Aang had come here to escape death.

Now, he was going to have it handed down to him.

Aang was determined to live, though. He caught glimpses of his glider wing once in a while and saw the frost that had covered it Once Aang realized the problem and he set to work fixing it. With his breath, Aang blew on the ice. The wind that came out of his mouth was strong enough to break the frost away. In seconds, Aang had complete control of his glider once again.

But Aang didn't know that despite his regained control of his glider, he had gone so far down that he was barely three feet above the ground.

Aang was also seven feet away from a large ice dome.

No. Five and a half feet.

Wait. Three feet.

Ouch. Zero feet.

.

o0o

.

When Aang regained consciousness, he felt his head throbbing in pain. A terrible head ache immediately caught up to him and his body was terribly cold. Aang was covered in snow, but he was capable of sitting up. Beside him was his glider and it was still intact. There were some tears in the fabric, but nothing a little patching up won't fix.

And where had Aang crashed?

As Aang looked all around him, he noticed that he was in a large ice dome, but the dome itself was translucent, allowing him to see the blizzard outside. Behind Aang was a hole—a hole _he_ made. That must have been why his head hurt. He had ploughed right through the dome's thick ice.

Then, after Aang's head had cleared, he realized that he had finally arrived.

Looking around, Aang realized that this was the perfect place for him to preserve himself for the next few years. It was large and spacious and the cold could preserve him easily. The only problem was the hole he had made. The hole could let fresh air come in and Aang wouldn't be able to preserve himself in the ice. But this could be easily fixed by sealing it up with snow.

Now the next question was: should he do it?

Aang thought of Katara and how he would terribly miss her and everyone else. He still had a chance. He could keep the hole open and wait for the blizzard to clear up. Then, he could go back to the Southern Water Tribe. He could still go back.

But Aang thought of all the air temples—destroyed.

He thought of the rest of the Air Nomads—murdered.

He thought of himself—the last.

Aang used his staff to clog the hole with snow and ice. The outside noises instantly disappeared and silence reclaimed the insides of the dome. He would preserve himself by placing his body under a form of deep sleep. He had done this the last time through meditation. He would now do it again.

Aang took one last look at the sealed hole.

And then, he placed himself into the meditation—chanting.

He was sealed in.

.

.

.

**South Pole, Southern Water Tribe,**

By this time, the Fire navy ships had already arrived on the shores of the water tribe city. Their fireballs and harpoons rained down on the huge ice mountain, instantly disfiguring the huge water tribe insignia that rested on the mountainside. That was happening on the outside. On the inside, the warriors and Waterbenders were purely on the defensive. The Waterbenders would make repairs to the ice mountain if ever the fireballs broke through. The warriors would attack whenever soldiers would come into the city.

Pakku was leading them all.

The man watched as one of the fireballs broke through one of the ice mountain's weak spots. The fireball landed right on top of two igloos. Looking again at the new hole, everyone could see beautiful sunshine breaking through.

Pakku pointed to the hole. "_Seal it up before another fireball breaks through!_"

Pakku and three other Waterbenders moved by the hole and Waterbended the hole's rim to seal itself like a wound healing through a scab. This sealed the hole quickly, but it also weakened the rest of the mountain as the seal took more ice water from the mountain's fixtures.

More fireballs.

More holes.

Pakku already had his hands full when a warrior walked up to him, telling him more bad news. "What is it this time?" came his retort.

"Airships, sir," said the warrior. "We've spotted four of them on their way here."

"Then call some other Waterbenders and seal up the skylight! Can't you handle these things on your own?"

The warrior ran away to do as instructed, but Pakku knew that whatever they did would be futile. The Waterbenders could continue sealing up holes, but the Fire Nation would break them. There would be no survivors when the day was done. Everyone had underestimated the Fire Nation's will to destroy them. They were determined to finish them off.

Pakku predicted that within the hour, the Southern Water Tribe would be nothing but a large black scorch mark.

.

o0o

.

Toph could hear the distant sounds of explosions and crashes from within the hut of the Spirit Oasis. She knew it too. She knew that the Waterbenders and warriors would not be enough to stop the Fire Nation from conquering the South Pole. They would kill if they had to and they would also take prisoners. But when the day was done and when the Fire Nation would stop firing, Toph knew that they would be coming for her.

They would kill off the water tribe easily, Toph knew. The Spirit Oasis will be their greatest victory. Once they killed the Ocean and Moon spirits, they would kill off an entire culture. A second genocide. The Air Nomads were taken and now the Water Tribe civilization was about to go next.

Toph gulped hard.

She was anxious—anxious because _she_ was the last line of defence.

When the day was done, they would be coming here, to the Spirit Oasis. But Toph would not let them near the oasis. She would defend this spot to her dying breath. She knew this was the only piece of land in the _entire_ South Pole worth saving.

And as she said earlier, '_let them try_'.

.

.

.

**South Pole, Frozen tundra south of the water tribe**

Sokka, Zuko, and Katara were atop Appa, searching through the endless blizzard for any sign of Aang. The blizzard lessened well enough for them to see their surroundings. But where were they to look? It was not like Aang could leave a trace of himself in the air. And the snowy ground was featureless. It would take a miracle to find anything through the blinding snow. The white-out consumed even light.

But not all the light.

Zuko looked to the sky and saw their miracle. It was something to see and it was only found here. "_The celestial lights_," he breathed.

High above them, flowing forms of lights danced through the sky. It looked like a colored river had spilled on the heavens. It was an amazing sight and the three could only look at it with awe. Even in the darkest moments, beauty can break anything.

But this celestial light served more than one purpose. Aside from light up the sky, the celestial lights also seemed to form a path—a line for them to follow. Sokka saw it as a sign and decided to move Appa in that direction.

.

o0o

.

Aang just realized that placing himself into a form of deep sleep was _so_ boring.

Aang had been patient for the first fifteen minutes. He did everything by the book. He closed his eyes, relaxed his mind, rid his thoughts of impure things, but he wasn't falling into any deep sleep. Aang was still there, still awake and bored. Now, his patience was running thin. He could no longer sit still and he was becoming too active. It just wasn't working.

_How come I'm not doing this right…?_

Aang sighed at last and removed himself from his meditative mood. He opened his eyes and breathed. _Why wasn't it working…?_ Maybe Aang wasn't as settled as he thought he should be. Maybe he was just doomed to die like the rest of the Airbenders. Maybe he was just doomed to die.

Aang buried his face in his palms.

In his mind's eye, Aang recalled his dream again—how Azula would kill him with one shot of lightning. Aang couldn't have that. He had to live.

"_Aang…_"

Startled, Aang looked up and found that he was no longer alone in this spacious ice cavern. Outsides, the celestial lights were glowing like the sun. Inside, the dome was filled to the brim—with Avatar spirits. Aang recognized those that came before him and he knew who had called out his name.

"_Roku…_"

.

o0o

.

Aang didn't feel so happy to be around Roku anymore. He felt guilty now because he had run away. Roku must have known from the beginning. They all must have known. But they didn't seem angry—only serious.

As Aang was thinking, he thought about this whole gathering of Avatar spirits. How was it happening? He was sure there was no celestial event today. How come these spirits were here?

"Roku… How is this possible…?"

"_The worlds are aligning, Aang…_" said Roku dreadfully. "_Without a bridge to connect the two worlds together, the planet will have to resort to new means for the worlds to connect… This is an imbalance, Aang… In the next few days, pieces of land will start to disappear into the Spirit World… Without the Avatar to fix this, the world will destroy itself…_"

This was shattering news.

Aang swallowed hard. "Roku… I…"

"_Aang,_" said Avatar Kuruk. "_What do you know of the Avatar…?_"

Aang didn't expect to be asked such question. "I'm not sure…"

"_The Avatar is the spirit of the planet condensed into one person_," said Avatar Kyoshi. "_When the person dies, the Avatar spirit moves on to the next element in the cycle and is reborn. The cycle has existed for thousands of years and the Avatar has been the sole judge of what was right and what was wrong… Only the Avatar could bring balance to the world… Only the Avatar had the right to do so…_"

Aang didn't know what to say. "What are you trying to tell—?"

Avatar Yangchen spoke next. "_And what happens when the Avatar is corrupted…? What happens when the one who brings balance forces the world into imbalance…?_"

Aang was pressed for an answer. "I don't know—"

"_The world is falling apart, Aang_," said Roku. "_The world is falling apart and the Avatar is the one held responsible... Nothing of this scale has ever happened in the history of mankind…_"

"_But this has been expected_," spoke Avatar Kuruk. "_No matter how all-knowing and all-powerful the Avatar is, the Avatar is only a man. And like all men, the Avatar can be tempted, deceived, mistaken, and tainted. All men have made mistakes and therefore, all Avatars have made mistakes. And there will come a time when the Avatar will finally lose its purpose and darken the world._"

And as one voice, all the Avatar spirits said, "_**UNFORTUNATELY, THAT TIME IS NOW…**_"

Avatar Roku looked into Aang's eyes. "_Now, the Avatar has reversed its purpose. Instead of bringing peace, the Avatar brings war. Instead of the protector, the Avatar is the destroyer. The universe cannot have such imbalance._"

"_And the universe must have balance,_" said Avatar Kyoshi.

"_This imbalance has gone on far enough_," said Roku loudly. "_We have no choice now… The Avatar Cycle must come to an end…_"

Aang suddenly had tunnel vision. "An _end_?" Aang couldn't believe it. The Avatar had existed for so long and now, he was being told that it was all going to end.

Aang had never imagined the Avatar disappearing forever.

"_It is the only solution_," said Avatar Yangchen. "_Even if the Avatar wasn't corrupted now, the Avatar would be corrupted later on… It is best we rid ourselves of the problem now._"

"But the Avatar isn't a problem!" Aang retaliated. "The Avatar is the _solution!_" Aang then turned to Roku. "_Why are you even telling me this?_"

"_We were wondering if you had a different answer…_" said Roku.

"You're asking _me_?" Aang was so angry now he didn't care if he blew off some steam right in front of all these Avatar spirits. "Why would you be asking _me?_ I'm not the Avatar anymore! I'm just an Airbender—the last! All I care right now is living into the next century! I just want to _live!_"

"_You did live,_" said Roku. And then, the Avatar pointed to the dome's ceiling.

Aang looked up and saw the celestial lights. But unlike the random flowing pattern Aang had seen before, the lights were different now. Now, the lights were forming shapes and people. The lights were forming a scene in time. All the colors and lines mixed and matched until finally, Aang saw what he was supposed to see.

The celestial lights had formed the iceberg with Aang and Appa still inside.

Aang had tears in his eyes. He turned back to all the Avatar spirits with anger still in his heart. "_WHY ME? WHY DID THE AVATAR SPIRIT CHOOSE ME? I NEVER WANTED TO BE THE AVATAR! I WOULD HAVE RATHER DIED WITH THE OTHER AIR NOMADS THAN SUFFER LIKE THIS!_"

"_And why did the Avatar Spirit choose the rest of us?_" said Roku to the other Avatar spirits. "_Did we want to be the Avatar? Did we expect it? No. Then why us? Why pick those who did not choose to be?_"

And like an answer from the heavens, the celestial lights began forming out scenes. There was Kuruk riding a tidal wave, Kyoshi fracturing a huge land mass, Yangchen creating gale-force winds, Roku bending the lava in a volcano, and countless other Avatars doing great feats of strength.

Aang looked to the sky.

"_Why me?_"

And Aang saw his fellow monks in the Southern Air Temple. He saw himself destroying the huge drill at Ba Sing Se. He saw himself sacrificing the things he loved to gain control of the Avatar State. He saw himself standing before Ozai—the last person to have a chance against the Fire Lord.

And Aang saw him and his friends.

Aang saw himself fail at Earthbending.

Aang saw himself getting licked by Appa.

Aang saw himself in the middle of a group hug.

He was the Fire Nation's greatest threat.

He was the world's last chance for peace.

He gave people hope.

He was the last Airbender.

He was the Avatar.

Roku chuckled and turned to Aang. "_And you wonder why the Avatar spirit chose you…_"

.

.

.

**South Pole, Southern Water Tribe, Spirit Oasis**

_What happened to all the sound?_

For some time now, Toph had been hearing nothing but breaking ice, falling fireballs, desperate cries, and the sound of people screaming. She could hear them all from inside the hut of the Spirit Oasis. The blind Earthbender was terribly frightened. Since she lost her sight, Toph's sense of hearing become over-developed. Every scream felt like her own. Every fireball that crashed sounded like it had landed right next to her.

The cries of the water tribe people were horrible.

And then, Toph could hear mechanical noises in the air. Toph had deduced that Fire Nation airships had arrived. A horrible feeling went into her stomach.

First, there was one _**BOOM**_.

And then, there was a whole series of _**BOOMS**_.

When all the "booms" stopped, there was complete silence.

No more cries.

No more screams from mothers and children.

No more orders coming from Pakku and the other warriors.

The silence was more horrible.

Toph felt that everyone was dead.

_Where did all the sounds go?_

And then, there were sounds again. Footsteps. And they were coming this way. Toph hoped that they were from the water tribe, but she doubted it. They were probably from the Fire Nation. They would be coming here—to the oasis. They would kill the Ocean and Moon spirits. They would finish her off.

_Let them try!_

Toph lifted an entire ring of wall from the ground to stand as the last barricade against the soldiers that would try and destroy the Spirit Oasis. Toph would hold the barricade and even try to fight back in case the moment needed it. And the moment those soldiers stepped on solid ground, Toph would be attacking.

"_In here!_" came a voice. It was a Fire Nation soldier' voice. Toph could tell.

Toph knelt low so she was hidden behind her earth wall. She could feel three Fire Nation soldiers walking into the tent. No one had stopped them. All the guards were probably gone or worse. One of the soldiers took a step closer towards her ring of earth.

Wrong move.

Toph drove her fingers into the ground and launched the soldier high into the air. She could sense the other soldiers' surprise. Before she could punch the lights out of them, one of the soldiers managed to alarm the others.

"_Hey! There's an Earthbender in here—!_"

And the soldier was flying.

Toph could not feel the soldiers outside the hut due to the snow, but she could hear them. Dozens of them. And one of those soldiers shouted, "_Forget procedure! We need this pest out of the way immediately! Bring in the komodo rhinos!_"

Toph wasn't looking so brave now.

_I need to protect the spirits!_

Quickly, Toph got her large metal snow pads and fashioned them into a small metal ball. She then went to the pond of the oasis and braved the water. She couldn't see in the water and it was just her luck that Koi fishes swam by her hand. Maybe the Koi fishes knew she was trying to help them. Anyway, Toph filled the metal ball with water and placed in the Koi fishes. When she was done, she sealed in the metal ball.

Toph then Earthbended so the metal ball was underground—safe from the soldiers. The spirits were safe.

_**CRASH!**_

A small fireball blasted right through Toph's earth wall. She fixed it immediately, holding the wall straight. Fire blasts were everywhere too. She could feel the heat from the other side of her earth wall. She was straining to keep herself strong. Soldiers, Komodo rhinos, fireballs, and fire blasts were usually things that would get her down.

_**CRASH!**_

Another portion of her earth wall fell and Toph rushed to fix it up. She raised another portion of the ground, but not quickly enough. Three Firebender soldiers had gathered together to deliver one powerful attack and they did. Their fire blasted right through Toph's wall and past it.

The fire swept onto Toph's face like a breeze.

Only, this breeze was cooking her skin.

Toph shrieked and fell.

The fire knocked her down. In minutes, the shock would ultimately end her. In minutes, Toph would be dead.

"_Where're the Koi fishes?_" came a soldier's voice. Toph was conscious enough to hear him. "_Zhao said they would be here, but they're not! This raid was a total waste of our energy!_" Toph could feel the man walking by her. A sudden shift in the man's weight told Toph that the man was leaning down to take a good look at her.

Another soldier had come by. "_Do we take her as prisoner, sir?_"

"_Look at her. She's dying. What point would there be if we lug a corpse on our ship. No. Leave her here. Let the cold air take her._"

Toph was happy to know that they were going away. She was happy to know that she had saved the Ocean and Moon Spirits. She was happy to know that she had saved them at the least. But she was not happy to know that she was about to die.

Then slowly.

Very slowly.

Her heart stopped beating.

.

.

.

**South Pole, Frozen tundra south of the water tribe**

"I hope Toph's okay," said Sokka. "I can't believe that she didn't want to come…"

"She _chose_ to stay behind, remember?" Katara reasoned.

"We better find Aang quick," said Zuko. "The wind's picking up fast."

It was hard to say that they made any progress in finding Aang. Sokka wouldn't admit to everyone else, but he felt that they were lost. Sure there were the celestial lights to lead their way, but going back would be hard. The celestial lights left no trail. And the blizzard was getting worse and worse. If the wind got too strong, Appa would not be able to fly.

Beside Sokka, Momo chattered. Its teeth kept clicking together.

And then, a giant wind shear swept them all to the side.

"_WHOA!_" screamed the three. They were clinging to Appa's saddle with their life depending on it. Appa was moaning as it spiraled out of the sky. Now, everyone was on a fatal nosedive. With Appa disoriented and its three passengers hanging on, no one could stop its fall. No one except Momo.

Momo flew by Appa's large head and sought shelter in its ear. The lemur hid in the beast's furry ear and began chattering again. The loud squeaks coming from the creature had irritated Appa enough to force himself conscious. The moment Appa's eyes opened once again, the bison pulled out of the dive and back up into the air. The sudden change in direction nearly ripped Sokka and Zuko's hold on the saddle.

Katara, on the other hand, had let go.

Sokka and Zuko saw it. "_KATARA!_" they screamed.

Katara still had her hand held out. She too was screaming for help, but her cries were futile. Appa was in no hurry to turn back to the ground and the ground itself was too close for Katara to be rescued.

Katara was falling to her death.

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o0o

.

Aang was shaking his head terribly. "_No! No! No! I can't go through with this!_" he cried. "I placed myself in this ice dome for a reason! I have to protect the last Airbender! Someone else can save the world! Someone else!"

"_And why are you here, Aang?_" asked Roku.

"Weren't you listening? I have to protect the last Airbender! If what you're saying is true and that the Avatar Cycle must end, then that means I have to stop Azula—kill her while she's in the Avatar State. But I won't! I won't fight her and I won't kill her! You can send someone else but _not me!_"

"_Because you're trying to save the Airbenders,_" said Avatar Yangchen.

"Yes!"

"_Then you've already succeeded,_" said Avatar Kyoshi.

Aang didn't understand. "What?"

"_The Air Nomads were destroyed a hundred years ago,_" said Avatar Roku. "_And yet here you are, standing before us, standing in the middle of all this destruction and confusion. Fire Lord Sozin thought he had succeeded in destroying the Airbenders, but he had failed. Why? Because you are still alive._"

"_You are not the last Airbender, Aang_," said Avatar Kuruk.

"_After a hundred years since the disappearance of the Air Nomads_," said Yangchen, "_You are the __**first**__. After a hundred years, you are the first Airbender._"

"_And there will be more after you,_" said Avatar Kyoshi. "_The spirit of the Air Nomads isn't as gone as you think. They live in the world, in the people, in everyone's hearts, and in you._"

"But if I die," Aang continued. "If I die, the Airbenders will be dead."

"_That is true,_" said Roku.

"So you understand why I have to stay here!" said Aang angrily. "Now you understand why I have to hide for another hundred years! Because if I die, then the Airbenders are gone forever! And with the Airbenders gone, the Avatar will be gone! And with the Avatar gone, balance will be lost forever!"

"_All true,_" said Kyoshi, Kuruk, and Yangchen in unison.

"Then why do you still want me to _fight?_" Aang retorted.

"_Because if you hide for another hundred years,_" said Roku, "_then in that timeline, Azula will die. And when Azula dies, the Avatar Spirit needs to be reborn into the next element in the cycle. And since you __**are**__ the only Airbender, then the Avatar Spirit cannot be reborn. The Avatar Spirit moves to an __**unborn**__ child. Since you have already been born, the Avatar Spirit cannot go to you. The Avatar will cease to exist._"

Aang stomped his feet. "But I thought you _wanted_ the cycle to end!"

All the Avatar spirits smiled.

"_**WE'VE CHANGED OUR MINDS…**_"

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o0o

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Aang collapsed again and was crying. "_But why…? I don't want to die like this, Roku… I don't want to risk losing the things I love… I don't want to risk my life…_"

"_We're not asking you to die, Aang_," said Avatar Yangchen. "_We're asking you to fight…_"

Aang sobbed violently. "**But what if I die?**"

"_Do you think that question should stop you?_" said Avatar Kuruk.

"_That question has never stopped you before…_" said Avatar Kyoshi.

And above, the celestial lights displayed Aang fighting against Zuko in the South Pole. Another scene displayed Aang facing the face-stealer, Koh, in the Spirit World. Yet another scene showed Aang taking a direct hit from Azula as she shot him down with lightning.

Aang gritted his teeth. "But those were different times! Things change! The stakes are higher now!"

"_Really?_" asked Roku. "_I'm certain you were the only Airbender when the Northern Water Tribe was in a siege, when Ba Sing Se fell for the first time under the Fire Nation, when the eclipse had darkened the land of Fire Nation capital. The stakes haven't changed at all._"

"But I didn't realize it then!" Aang shouted. He didn't even realize that his tears were entering his mouth. "I didn't realize how _alone_ I was! I didn't realize how horrible the situation became! Three of the four Air temples are _gone!_"

Avatar Yangchen stepped forward. "_They're only Air temples, Aang…_"

Aang wasn't going to be thwarted. "But Azula—she's the Avatar! How can you expect me to defeat the Avatar with _Airbending?_"

A bright light sparked from the entire Avatar spirits in that ice dome. Roku and all the other Avatar spirits looked at Aang angrily. Roku stepped forward with fury in his eyes. "_I'M TIRED OF ALL YOUR COMPLAINTS, AANG! YOU'RE STRONGER THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLE IMAGINE—MORE POWERFUL THAN WHAT YOU KNOW! YOU CAN DEFEAT AZULA!_"

Aang backed up, suddenly afraid at Roku. Slowly, the light from all their eyes disappeared. The other Avatar spirits disappeared too. Now, only Roku was left. And Roku saw that Aang looked truly frightened of him. Roku felt like he must have been a monster. And Aang looked his own age—like a frightened little child.

He reached out to Aang.

"_Aang… I'm sorry…_"

Aang was still pushing himself away, afraid to go near Roku.

"_I didn't mean that, Aang…_"

And Roku took Aang's hand. Roku's spirit hand had substance and he was able to grasp the boy's hand. Slowly, Roku pulled Aang into a warm and fatherly hug. Long gone was Roku's temper. What replaced it was kindness and love.

"_No one is forcing you to fight, Aang… I have no power over that… It's all up to you… And I'm sorry I yelled at you… It wasn't right of me to do so…_"

And Roku added, "_But if there's anything left I want to say, it is this. You must never be afraid of death… Never let it consume you… I am not saying that death isn't something to fear—I mean, who isn't afraid to die? But to face death squarely—to laugh at the face of death—now that is something amazing… Because death has a mission too. Death's mission is to break you—break you so that the only result will be death itself… But when you laugh at the face of death—when you challenge it—then you have defeated death's mission…_

"_Because if death cannot break you, then death cannot take you…_"

Aang wiped his tears. "Thank you, Roku…"

"_And another thing_," said Roku with a smile. "_You may think yourself alone, but in reality, you never were…_"

And as Roku disappeared and faded out of existence, Aang looked up and saw the celestial lights. The lights were forming out scenes again. He saw himself telling Sokka to climb a cliff. He saw himself holding Toph's hand at the end of the Summer Solstice. He saw himself petting Appa on top of a large warship. He saw himself holding Momo on his arm. He saw Zuko teaching him Firebending.

He saw Katara waking him up from his time in the iceberg.

He saw Katara healing him after being shot by lightning.

He saw Katara kiss him.

He saw Katara falling down from the sky.

And Katara was still falling.

Wait.

Aang was sure he had never seen that one before.

And Aang got his glider and broke through the ice dome's ceiling.

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o0o

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"_**AAAAHHH!! HEEEELLPPPP!!**_"

Katara's hand was reaching out. Sokka and Zuko were trying to catch up to her, but Katara was falling too fast. Her death would not come easy. Air pressure increases the farther down a person went. Air pressure alone would cause large forms of lacerations and bleedings. But it would be the impact that would kill her. Despite snow being soft, Katara's velocity would make the snow as hard as a slab of rock, crushing bones, and tearing delicate tissues. The brain would squeeze itself through the skull and the heart would tear off from its connecting membrane.

In short, Katara wouldn't be alive to heal herself.

"_Don't worry!_" Sokka shouted. "_We've almost got you!_"

What a lie.

Already, the air pressure was causing Katara's eardrums to "pop". Her vision was blurring and she could no longer focus. For some condolence, at least Katara knew she would not feel the pain. Maybe there would be some shock and then nothing. Who know? It had been a long time since she had seen her mother.

Maybe she would see her soon.

Ten feet. Katara sighed. She stopped reaching out.

Six feet. _Mother… I'm almost home…_

Three feet.

Two feet.

Six feet.

Ten feet.

Fifteen feet.

Katara opened her eyes and realized a large bird had suddenly snatched her from midair. The dark bird was having trouble flying though. In seconds, they were falling again. The bird had lost control of its wings. But the fact that the bird had already slowed them down meant that a crash was survivable.

Now, Katara and the bird were on an angle that was parallel with the ground.

And when she and the bird hit one of the first few layers of snow, their momentum had been greatly reduced. There was some rolling and some skidding, but eventually, they came to a halt.

The crash had forced Katara to close her eyes, but now that everything had stopped, she was allowed to open them again.

Above her, the celestial lights allowed her to see. She could see that Appa had landed and Sokka and Zuko were running towards her. Also, the giant bird that had rescued her was not a bird at all. It was a boy with bright eyes. And that boy was looking directly at her with a smile.

She recognized this boy somewhere.

"Katara…?" said the boy.

"_Yes…?_" she responded, a little weak though.

And after a short pause, the boy said, "Would you go penguin sledding with me?"

Katara recognized him at last. She smiled at him with tears flowing from her eyes.

"Yes. Yes I will."

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**South Pole, Southern Water Tribe**

After an hour of finding their way back, Sokka, Zuko, Katara, and Aang finally made it back to the Southern Water Tribe—or what was left of it. The northern side of the ice mountain had collapsed over the city and the southern side of the mountain looked like Swiss cheese. The air was filled with the rotten smell of dead bodies. Already, Sokka had spotted some dead water tribe soldiers.

"They didn't die because of the collapse," said Sokka. "These men were killed because they were burned down before the mountain collapsed." Sokka then turned to Zuko. "What do you think forced the collapse?"

"Airships," said Zuko. "And from the looks of it, I'd say there were a lot of them."

Aang sighed. Just when he was already feeling good, reality always showed its ugly face. "They're all dead, aren't they?" asked Aang. "They're all dead because of me…"

Zuko turned to Aang. He winked and smiled at him. "Not all of them are dead, Aang."

"What do you mean…?" asked Aang, surprised.

Katara came by him and smiled to cheer him up. "We'll explain along the way, but right now, we have to head for the southern side of the city."

Aang followed his friends and started running. And as they ran, Katara was explaining. "We knew that the city didn't stand a chance against the raid from the beginning. So we had to make sure that somehow, we could keep the city safe. The plan was to defend until the last minute possible. After that, everyone was to retreat to safety."

"Where did they go?" asked Aang.

Before anyone could answer, Katara stopped them all and she began Waterbending. Katara formed a large circle on the ground and slowly, the ice slid downwards. The circle, Aang realized, was actually a lid. And with the lid open, Aang could peer inside. Immediately, Aang smiled at what he saw.

Belowground were the rest of the water tribe people. And more than that, there were livestock too. The children seemed to be too happy playing with Ummi.

Pakku stepped out of the ground first. He went to Katara and Sokka and hugged them both. "I thought I'd lost you both… When I didn't see you with the rest of the refugees, I thought you had been killed with the others…"

Sokka smiled. "We had important things to attend to."

"I'm glad," said Pakku with a smile. "But I was surprised to see you in more ways than one. When I saw the opening being Waterbended, I thought it was impossible. I heard that no one had been guarding the oasis. I thought for sure the spirits would have been killed."

Sokka burst into laughter. "Then that means our blind friend must have guarded the oasis well."

"Toph," said Aang with a smile.

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**South Pole, Southern Water Tribe, Spirit Oasis**

"_Toph…_" everyone gasped.

Everyone saw her body floating on the pond of the spirit oasis. Her hair was no longer in a bun, but was now freely floating like black tentacles in the currents of the water. Her face was up and her pupil-less eyes stared at the ceiling. Her face and clothes were badly scorched. But despite all of the macabre that seemed to follow her, Toph never looked so peaceful and serene in all her life. She was almost likened to an angel.

Sokka immediately waded in the water. He got to her and brought her to dry ground. He placed two fingers on her neck, feeling for a pulse. Tears started to flow out of his eyes. There was no pulse.

"She's gone," said Sokka.

Aang shook his head. He wasn't about to leave it at that. "Katara! There's still a chance! The water from the Spirit Oasis!"

Katara's eyes widened. "I'm on it!"

Immediately, Katara bended a large pool of water from the spirit oasis right onto Toph's body. The water incased her whole body like a cocoon and slowly began to glow. Katara was sweating as she got deep into Toph's vital signs—if there were any. Toph didn't seem to show any sign of movements. Her eyes didn't flicker. She didn't blink. And there was definitely still no pulse.

"How's it going?" asked Sokka with slight anticipation. He could hope for Toph to reawaken. But he knew that they had reached her too late.

Katara shook her head, making her tears fall everywhere. "It's no use. The water from the oasis isn't working… I can't jumpstart her heart… I can't force it to beat again…"

Aang clenched his fist. _There had to be a way…_

Jumpstart her heart…

Force it to beat again…

A shock.

In that moment, Aang recalled the moment Azula shot through his heart with lightning. It was a painful memory and one he would take to his grave. He recalled every inch of it and he realized that Toph must have experienced the same thing. The lightning had surged into his body. His heart was overrun with electricity and stopped beating. That was how he died before.

The shock of it was horrible.

_Toph must have felt the same thing… The shock of death must have been unbearable… Her heart was shocked to death…_

And then, Aang had an idea.

"Zuko!" he said suddenly. "I need you to shoot lightning into Toph's heart!"

"_ARE YOU CRAZY?_" Sokka shrieked. "_WHAT GOOD WOULD THAT DO?_"

"Think of it!" Aang shouted. "Remember when Azula shot me with lightning? It killed me for a moment. That's because the electricity must have shorted out my heart. But what if we run electricity into an already _stopped_ heart? It should jumpstart it! The heart should beat again!"

"_That's a horrible theory!_" shouted Sokka.

"I'm willing to do anything to get her back," said Aang. "We need to _try_."

"_You're crazy! I won't let that happen!_"

Aang turned to Zuko. "Are you willing to try, Zuko?"

Zuko looked at Toph's limp body. She was a dead girl and the moment to bring her back had probably disappeared hours ago. "I don't know, Aang… It might already be too late… And we could just kill her more…"

"We have to try," Katara chided. "This is a _friend_. And I would do anything to help a friend… And I bet if Toph were here, she'd say, 'go for it'. Wouldn't she, Sokka?"

Katara turned to her brother. She stared into his eyes.

"She wouldn't say that," said Sokka.

Katara sighed.

"She would say, '_give me your best shot_'," Sokka said with a smile. He turned to Zuko. "Alright. I'll give it a chance. Give her your best shot, Zuko."

Zuko sighed. He was going to do it.

Aang nodded at Zuko and turned to Katara. "Katara. I need you to keep holding the water of the Spirit Oasis over her. It's going to lessen the electricity a bit. Zuko will have to try not to release too much electricity. You can do that by redirecting some of your own energy. We don't want to fry her. Just jumpstart the heart. Are we ready?"

Everyone nodded.

Katara was ready—holding the water over her body like a cocoon. Zuko breathed. He then began rotating his hands, gathering his energy together. Slowly, he could feel his chi paths and his own power. Positive and Negative chi were swirling all inside him.

Quickly, Zuko separated his energies.

Then, he dipped his two fingers into Katara's pool of water and pressed upon the spot that was above Toph's heart. His other two fingers were extended the other way. The energy should surge out any moment.

_Clear!_

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o0o

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A small bolt of electricity shot down Zuko's finger and into Toph's heart. The jolt forced her abdomen to jerk upward. The sudden jerk was so spontaneous that Sokka had to jump back at the sight of it. There was no breath coming from Toph though. Aside from the jerk, Toph was still dead.

_No_, thought Katara. Her hands were still over the water and the water was still glowing. Something had happened. There was a small pulse. Toph's heart had flickered to life for a second.

Katara turned to Zuko, as if angry. "_Toph's heart beat for a second! Do it again!_"

And Zuko shot another weak bolt of lightning. Toph's abdomen jerked up again. Katara felt a short pulse. _Again!_ Another pulse. Another bolt of lightning. And again. And again. And again. And again.

_Ba-Dum!_

_Ba-Dum!_

_Ba-Dum!_

Toph's heart was beating again. Zuko stopped adding in more bolts of lightning when Katara told him to stop. Katara used the Spirit Oasis water to replace the lightning. Her heart rhythm was still weak, but she could still keep it strong with her healing. Zuko's lightning had shocked the life back into her. Katara's healing would keep it there.

Then, there was a gasp for breath.

Toph was breathing.

Even better, Toph was conscious.

"_Stupid fish spirits…_" she grumbled. And despite her weak body, Toph pound her fist to the ground and Earthbended a metal ball to the surface. Katara took it and felt that something was alive inside. With a single water whip, she sliced the metal open and was surprised to see the Ocean and Moon spirits alive inside.

Katara placed them back in the pond.

And everyone hugged Toph, their tears mingling with their laughter.

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**South Pole, Southern Water Tribe**

"Toph's going to be fine after some rest," said Katara. "She just fell back into unconsciousness, but she's going to be okay."

"That's good to hear," said Aang."

"We still have a problem though," said Pakku. The old master walked into their conversation like an unwanted stranger. "With the city destroyed, the people won't be able to have food or water. Everyone would go thirsty or starve. We could try to rebuild the city, but the Fire Nation is patrolling our shoreline. If they see us still alive, they'll attack us again."

"What do you suggest?" asked Katara.

"We need to get out of here. But there's not a single boat left," sighed Pakku. "Even if you do have two Sky Bison, they won't be enough to carry everyone out of here. And we better come up with a solution fast. I don't think we'll be able to make it through the night if a blizzard comes in."

"Where are we going to get a boat?" asked Katara.

Aang smiled. "I know!"

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**South Pole, The Shipwreck**

The entire water tribe gathered around the large black shape of the raised Fire Navy boat. Its old features still looked frightening and monstrous. The Waterbenders were already lowering it from the ice that had trapped it. This ship that had once haunted the southern tribe for as long as they could remember was now their last chance for escape.

"This is a pretty brilliant idea, Aang," said Sokka. "The Fire Navy ships patrolling the shore might let us pass since this is one of their own."

Aang scratched his neck. "Let's just hope there're no more booby traps inside…"

"Where do we go now?" asked Zuko.

"We get everyone first to safety," Aang answered. "But I know what I _have_ to do…"

"And you won't do it alone," said Katara.

"I say we head to Whale-tail Island," Pakku interrupted.

"Why there?" asked Sokka.

Pakku kept his gaze at Sokka and pulled out an old scroll from his pocket. "I've just received a letter about a gathering there. I was personally asked to join. It's a message from the Order of the White Lotus."

"The order is helping us now?" asked Sokka. "But I thought gatherings could only be called upon by a Grand Lotus? And Iroh's missing, right?"

"There is more than one Grand Lotus," said Pakku. "Anyway, if you want our help, I say we head to that island right now."

"Hold on," Sokka halted. "I thought you would only discuss these things with members of the order?"

Pakku smiled at Sokka.

"That's right. I am."

Sokka's eyes widened. "You mean, I'm—! Woohoo!"

The group started to board the Fire Navy ship. Zuko was at the helm, steering it. The Waterbenders would provide additional propulsion to get the ship out of the ice packs. Appa and Ummi were kept in the cargo hold to prevent any Fire Nation ship from spotting them. Other water tribe people also went below deck.

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o0o

.

Katara felt a sudden tightening in her throat as she stood at the ship's bow. From her point of view, she could see Toph lying sleeping silently on deck. Sokka was scrubbing the deck floor with a mop. High above, Zuko was steering the ship. And Aang was fooling around with Momo, making the little lemur fly around in a small ball air.

It was just like old times again.

Just like old times, the group would have fun. They would get into all sorts of trouble and the Fire Nation would be chasing them. And just like old times, the Fire Nation was back to controlling the world. But it would be harder now that Azula was the Avatar.

Katara didn't mind though.

One look at Aang and she knew there was still hope.

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_Water_

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_Earth_

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_Fire_

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_Air_

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_Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony_

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_Then_

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_Everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked_

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_Only the Avatar_

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_Master of all four elements could stop them_

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_But when the world needed him most_

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_He vanished_

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_A hundred years passed and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar_

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_An Airbender named Aang_

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_And although his Airbending skills are great_

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_He has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone_

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_But I believe_

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_Aang_

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_Can save the world_

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	22. The Avatar: Earth

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Book 4

_Air_

Chapter twenty-two:

The Avatar: _Earth_

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**Earth Kingdom, Southern Mountain Range, Omashu**

"_Move along!_"

The Fire Nation soldiers were in no mood for mercy or jubilation. They would stand for nothing but order and discipline. But these prisoners were testing the lengths of their patience. A few of them were still begging for water and others were grumbling about starvation. The soldiers took care of them immediately. Already, the roadways were littered with beaten bodies and blood. It was a long line of red.

After the immediate destruction of Omashu, surviving citizens of the city were forced out like rats to poison. Giant airships immediately blackened the sky and rained bombs onto the unsuspecting people. There was no time for defense. The first reaction was to hide. But Fire Nation infantry dragged them out—women, fathers, and children—all of them from underground shelters and mines. And even then, their worst fears had not yet come.

The most grueling task was still ahead.

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o0o

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It was called the Red March.

Directly after the survivors were plucked out from the rubble of Omashu, they were set to walking. But this was no ordinary stroll. This one would go on for miles, through twisted pathways and mountains. They would walk through daylight and night time. And they would not stop or rest or eat. Earthbenders were cuffed on both hands and feet with metal chains to prevent them from bending. Ordinary citizens were tied to komodo-rhinos to prevent them from running away—or to drag them in case they got tired.

The Red March was done because the Fire Nation was no longer taking chances. Ordinarily, the soldiers would try to ram the city from outside. But the Fire Nation was fierce now. Everyone was to be taken prisoner—not just benders. And all these people had to be ferried to special concentration camps in the Fire Nation. It was no longer "business as usual" with the Fire Nation. This was now a global hostile take-over.

These Earth Kingdom citizens were now being forced to cross the entire mountain ridge to the ports on the south side of the land. Those were an approximate of 68 kilometers—no doubt impossible for an ordinary person. And these people were in no condition to walk that far. Their slippers had already torn apart due to the rugged terrain. Others were already walking with bare feet and they had blisters to pay for it. They had not eaten since the destruction of their city. Many others were thirsty. And the sun was as merciless as the soldiers.

And the casualties were endless.

Many of the old and sick were dying on the spot. Those that were thirsty had already fallen to fainting spells. Since ropes and chains were tied to their bodies, they were dragged like sacks of potatoes on the rocky ground. It did not help that the soldiers would beat them up with a sharp whip every time someone would fall to the ground. And just so that the rest could travel faster without being slowed down by dead bodies, the soldiers would sometimes cut-off the dead bodies from the rope so their carcass could rot with the flies.

And any unruly or rebellious man would be plucked off from the line. Anyone who was plucked off from the line was never seen again. But it was clear something had happened. Sometimes people could tell when someone had died. Either it was the increase of putrid odors in the air or a sharp cry before silence.

The roads to the port were paved red.

It was every man, woman and child for themselves.

Yes. Even children were among the pile-up.

One child, a small girl with thin eyes, large cheeks and muddy splotches on her face, was tugging on her father's ragged green shirt. The shirt had already gone brown but the girl's tugging had cracked the mud off it.

"What is it…?" asked the father patiently.

"Food…?" asked his daughter.

"I'm sorry… It's all gone…"

The little girl looked like she was about to cry.

But the father wasn't about to let that happen.

He stood on one leg and removed his shoe. He handed the shoe to the girl and motioned her to eat it. Eat the shoe.

This may seem more than odd, but it was not. From all the types of clothing a person could wear, it was the shoes that could actually provide substance and nutrients for the stomach to use. Shoes were high in protein—an odd fact the father knew well after many tiring journeys into the Si Wong Desert.

The girl bit through the padding. Her rage for food was strengthening her jaw to rip through the material. Her teeth gnashed through the horrible contents of the shoe. It tasted like sweat, dirt, cloth, and feet. But she stomached the whole thing and she was glad to have at least _something_ in her stomach.

Her one-shoed father patted her on the head. "I'm sorry, honey… I know it's not much…"

The daughter looked into her father's eyes. "When do we get some real food?"

Her father thought of the port, where they would be shipped away to the concentration camps in the Fire Nation. The prison food was actually something to wait for. "Soon," was her father's reply. "Soon."

The girl tugged on her father's shirt again. "Will we be saved…?"

"By whom?" he asked.

"The Avatar."

The man felt a growing sense of pain in his heart. He had given many stories to his daughter about the Avatar and how he had saved the world only months before. Now, the situations had reversed. The war was coming back together and this time, things would be far worse.

"The Avatar cannot save us," said the father.

"But I believe in him," said his daughter with a small smile.

Obviously, his daughter was referring to the previous Avatar—the Airbender. The father had not heard any news about the Airbender. But if he was out there, if he was still willing to fight for his beliefs, then maybe the father could do the same. Maybe they still had a chance.

Another tug on his shirt. This time for more food.

As the little girl ate the man's last shoe, the father patted her on the back.

"I believe in him too."

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**Southern Air Nomad Territory, Seas south of Whale-Tail Island**** (dawn)**

General Shu entered the helm of his ship where his advisers were waiting for him. The advisers consisted of old captains, admirals, and generals who were once again loyal to Ozai. Even Long Feng, the former cultural administer, was among the generals. They were here to discuss about their military state of affairs. Seizing control of the Southern Air Nomad territory had been a key vantage point for the Fire Nation. While most of the northern Earth Kingdom territories had been recaptured, the southern Earth Kingdom territories and the South Pole had remained untouched—till today.

"Has our last fleet of airships arrived?" asked General Shu.

"It came in a few hours ahead of schedule," said a captain. "They're supporting our southern fleet but as of now, they are a reserve force guarding these waters."

General Shu nodded. "And what of Omashu?"

"The city is nothing more than a pile of rocks," said an admiral. "Our airships did quick work on the city. Survivors are being hauled off from a southern port to one of the many concentration camps in the outer regions of the Fire Nation. But before that, the ships will have to cross our area to pass customs and re-supply."

"Very good," commended the general. "But what about our navy fleet that went to the South Pole? Did we encounter any problems?"

"We lost one ship but other than that, everything went fine," answered a lieutenant. "The water tribe was on the defensive anyway and the moment our airships arrived, the water tribe people didn't stand a chance. No one's survived. The fleet has already returned. The whole thing was a success."

"_But what of my goal?_"

Everyone turned their heads to see Zhao, standing on the other side of their arrangement. Seeing the man was a shock, but it didn't last long. Zhao no longer took pride in his appearances and decided to move straightly to business. "_And what of my goal, lieutenant?_" asked Zhao a second time.

The lieutenant shook his head. "I'm sorry sir. Our men reported that the Ocean and Moon Spirits were not there in the South Pole."

"_WHAT?_" Zhao burst. "_That's not possible! If not in the North or South Pole then where else?_"

The lieutenant shrugged. "We don't know, sir."

"And we don't have time to find out," added General Shu. "We have a mission here and it involves more than just killing spirits. If we are to take back the whole Earth Kingdom in a few days, then we have to move quickly. Some Earth Kingdom forces are gathering together for a defense and their coming together concerns me. There's no time to be sidetracked—"

"_THIS IS NO SIDETRACK, GENERAL SHU!_" shouted Zhao with full force. He looked at all the officials and gave each of them a piercing stare. "_Don't forget the reason why I spared all your lives and how I freed all of you from prison! You may be under Ozai's command, but your first allegiance is to me!_

"_And don't forget the main reason why we stationed ourselves here! We are here to protect the princess as she masters Airbending in the Southern Air Temple. You can do all you want with all the nations of the world, but I want to make sure that this entire armada is committed to protecting Azula. The girl has already delayed herself from learning Airbending for some time now. No one must interrupt her! I want to make sure of that!_"

Everyone nodded and agreed.

General Shu sighed. "She's well protected, Zhao. In fact, she is _over_protected. The concentration of all our ships in this single spot may be strategic, but it is overly unnecessary. If the princess is so powerful, why doesn't she just protect herself?"

"_The princess can protect herself_," said Zhao. "_But she will be too busy protecting herself to study Airbending. The princess has powerful enemies—enemies that should never be underestimated. Should these enemies reach the Southern Air Temple before Azula finishes her training, then I fear Azula will never become a true Avatar. And without the Avatar on our side, we may not win this war._"

"You put too much faith on that girl, Zhao," commented General Shu.

"_Just do you job, general. Azula is my order of business. I just hope you're as committed to yours._"

"Nothing has gone past us and I doubt nothing will ever do," said General Shu confidently. "Our armada is impenetrable. To get to the Southern Air Temple, they will have to cross both sea and land. It will be impossible as we control the sea and the air. Also, we have tanks rooted to the mountainsides. It will be impossible to get to the temple. As I said earlier, '_overprotected_'."

Zhao stepped onto the outside bridge, looking at the sea.

"_Don't underestimate our enemies, general. That was my mistake. Trust me, if there's anything we know about enemies is that they have a trick or two up their sleeves._"

Suddenly, there was some noise in the back. This drew attention away from the meeting. Everyone could hear yelling and fighting. General Shu sighed. It was one of his men. There seemed to be a scuffle between lookout and a messenger. General Shu decided to take action immediately.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," bowed the general.

.

o0o

.

"What is it now?" asked the general to his men.

The messenger and the lookout liked entirely peevish now after withdrawing from a fight. General Shu realized that they seemed to be fighting about things they had seen in the sea.

"I was on my way here to deliver a message," said the messenger who was still bumping an elbow to the lookout. "On my way up, I was taking my time looking at the dark sea. A flare went up and it brightened the sea. Then, I saw a huge Fire Nation ship in the distance."

General Shu placed his fists on his hips. "So why were you two fighting?"

"Because I saw what was _really_ out there!" said the lookout as he punched the messenger on the arm. "As _I _lighted a signal flare, I spotted a Fire Navy ship in the distance. But when I used my spyglass, I realized that it was not just any ordinary ship, it was a _ghost ship_!"

General Shu raised a brow. "A 'ghost' ship?"

"Yes sir," nodded the lookout. "That's exactly what it looked like. It was rusted and pitted. It was rugged on all the edges. I even smelled the spirits in it sir. I suspect it's filled to the brim with dead people!"

"This guy's crazy!" shouted the messenger to the lookout.

"But _I _had a spyglass!" retorted the lookout.

"ENOUGH!" shouted General Shu. "Whatever is out there, it's not supposed to be where it's supposed to be. If it really is a Fire Navy ship, then that means it's not in formation and therefore, not one of ours. May I borrow your spyglass?"

The lookout gingerly handed the man his spyglass and raised a new signal flare. A shot rang out a glowing light illuminated the surroundings for a moment. General Shu took the spyglass to his eye.

There was indeed a ship in the distance. And the ship was indeed a Fire Navy ship. Also, the ship looked dead and destroyed—with more wear and tear than a demolished tank. A ghost ship indeed.

General Shu gave the spyglass back to the lookout. "I can see it but I won't believe it. Let it pass without hindrance, men. There's no need to be alarmed. I don't believe in ghosts."

And General Shu walked away.

"_Is that so, General Shu? You don't believe in ghosts?_" asked Zhao as he appeared alongside him.

General Shu smiled. "Except you, Zhao. Except you."

.

o0o

.

"It's working," said Sokka with a small smile. "They're not noticing us."

Zuko looked to the horizon, staring at the dozens of battle ships surrounding the mountainous central island. A signal flare had illuminated the surroundings. _They're watching us_, thought Zuko. The young Fire Lord knew the protocols. He knew they had been spotted. Zuko expected jet skis to spring into action, but there seemed to be no commotion. They had let them pass.

"They _did_ notice us," said Zuko. "But I don't think they believe that we're a problem. I don't know what to do. I would feel a lot better if we got out of these waters or if they couldn't see us."

Sokka turned to his sister. "You heard the man. We'll need you and the other Waterbenders to create some fog so the boat can hide."

Katara snorted. "Yes, your _highness_. Do you want some water with that _fog_?"

Sokka shook his head. "Just the fog."

.

o0o

.

Katara tarried off to the deck of the ship and told Master Pakku and the other Waterbenders to create some fog cover for the boat. The Waterbenders moved to the ship's side with Katara at the ship's bow. Simultaneously, they lowered their hands and channeled their energy out into the sea. The water below became turbulent and rapid. The sudden pressure suddenly reduced the surrounding water into steam. A sea breeze swept past the ship and forced the mist to trail behind, allowing the boat to look even more ghostly than ever.

Sokka, Aang, and Zuko ran down from the bridge to Katara. "Nice work with the fog," said her brother. "I bet the Fire Nation thinks we just disappeared in a puff of smoke."

Katara turned to Aang. "How's Toph?" she asked.

"She's still asleep," Aang answered. "She hasn't wakened up since we revived her. I haven't even seen her open her eyes. But at least she's alive. Anyway, I transferred her to the lower deck, in one of the bunks. I hope that's okay with you guys. I'm just worried. She might not even be able to fight."

"Hey," said Sokka, trying to comfort Aang. "If we know one thing, Toph can fight with her eyes closed."

The four started to laugh after that small joke. The laughter caught the attention of Master Pakku and the old man walked by the group and decided to interrupt. "Having a little chat, are we?" asked the old man.

No one rose to the jibe, but Sokka had a question to ask. "Pakku," said the boy, "I've been meaning to ask this since we started heading for Whale-Tail Island… What's actually waiting for us there? You haven't told us anything about the place except for the fact that the Order of the White Lotus is there."

"Is there an army there?" asked Zuko.

"Or a fortress?" asked Aang.

Pakku shook his head. "All things will be revealed to you in due time."

And just as Sokka was about to complain, Aang shouted, "_Look!_" and pointed to the stern of the deck.

Everyone turned to see the sun rising out of the horizon's edge. Its rays brightened the first few layers of the sky. Dawn was coming in. The smell of the sea breeze and the salt in the air was refreshing. And with the approaching dawn, there was something else that came along with it. A renewed sense of hope had come. And this was vital to their survival, because if the group had looked back, they would have noticed how far hope taken them.

And maybe—_just maybe_—hope would get them a little further.

.

o0o

.

The group had gone below deck to check up on Toph. In her bunk, they noticed that Toph had not moved since Aang last saw her. The only sign that indicated that the blind girl was alive was the fact that her chest was rising and falling. Her breaths were low but at least she was breathing. Providence was always welcomed within their little group.

There is something about seeing an invalid that makes a person so concerned. Maybe it was the way some people's bodies' were twisted due to broken bones. Sometimes, the person didn't deserve to get hurt and the fact that he or she does makes people feel worse. And there are some other times that the person looks so peaceful, you can't wonder if they're really dead. Toph looked this way. The mud from her cheeks and feet had been washed off and the girl looked as pale as a ghost.

Sokka moved to her side. "How is she?" he asked his sister.

Katara wrapped her hands in water and moved them along Toph's head. "She's fine. I can't seem to find anything wrong with her. Toph's sleeping so there's nothing to worry about."

Zuko was scratching his cheek. "There's just something that's bothered me. The moment we saw Toph on the ground, she seemed burned and there were a lot of wounds on her. But after we saved her, they all seemed to disappear. Why did that happen?"

"It's the water from the Spirit Oasis," answered Katara promptly. "I covered her entire body with it. It must have healed all her wounds and scars. I won't be surprised if she's as strong as an oak the moment she wakes up."

Suddenly, there was a good amount of stirring coming from the bed.

"_You guys are so noisy…_" Toph grumbled, half-awake, half-asleep. "_Can't a girl get some rest without a lot of people talking all at the same time…?_"

Everyone laughed.

"Good to have you back, Toph," said Aang, patting her on the shoulder.

"_You still have to make things up to me, Aang…_" said Toph grumpily, her eyes still closed. "_You ran away again after all…_"

"He saved your life," said Katara.

"_Aang did that?_" Toph asked with surprise.

Aang shrugged. "I just had an idea…"

Toph growled. "Well, the next time you have an idea, make sure you try it to yourself first. That shock was so _painful!_ Someone help me up so I can punch Aang in the face!"

"Is that the thanks I get for saving your life?" Aang asked.

Toph smiled. "Yes."

Slowly, Katara held her hand and pulled her to her feet. Toph took a moment to rub her eyes. Everyone watched this initial human behavior come through Toph. As she opened her eyes, she realized that something was strangely different. The world had opened to her through new windows and suddenly, she could perceive things differently. As she opened her eyes and turned to the rest of the group, she realized what had happened.

Toph blinked.

"I can see," said Toph plainly. Her voice sounded so ill-concerned that everyone thought this was normal. Everyone thought that she was pulling their legs. But then, they realized that Toph was right. They could see it in her eyes.

"_I can see…_"

.

.

.

**Southern Jongmu Air Temple, South Wall**

Grunts and shouts resonated on the south wall of the air temple. From a distance, the temple looked like a mini-hurricane had hit it. Violent winds and strong blasts of air shifted from left to right. An Airbender in the temple. It was just like old times. But unlike old times, the south wall was no longer used for games. The whole thing had been converted into an arena. A student and a teacher—both battling to cooperate with one another.

"You look like you're wrestling a koala-bear," said Khai cheerfully. "Do you _ever_ relax?"

Azula ignored the boy.

"I know I'm being held hostage and all, but you're really boring. Do you have a brother I can talk to?"

"I _have_ no brother!" Azula hissed.

"Whoa!" Khai leaped. "Don't bite my head off!"

Just then, Azula jumped onto one of the temple's tower walls and started accelerating fast. She spun for a second and somersaulted in reverse. Before she took a landing, she gathered some air and blasted herself a few feet higher. Then, it was just the case of using a little bit of Airbending to glide back to the ground.

Khai gave a very non-interested applause. "That was truly spectacular… A little more of that and maybe I'll get bored to death."

"Would you shut up!" screamed Azula. "If you weren't so important, I'd have killed you by now! So be quiet and give me the next set!"

Khai sighed and jumped off his sitting position. "Do I have to…?"

Azula was getting tired of this irritation. "Your mother's head! I promise I'm going to serve it to you and force you to eat it!"

Khai gulped. He had pushed her on the wrong edge again. "You have a crazy imagination, you know that?"

"_Give me the next set!_"

Khai, at this immediate point in his life, was thinking exactly as he should be on his age. He was thinking whether if he should continue trying to please this irate girl and continue teaching the means to _his_ destruction, or do the one thing he had been trying to do since he was kidnapped: escape. Khai had already taken considerable amounts of effort to prevent himself from punching this bothersome girl in the face with his brass knuckles. But of course, his brass knuckles were taken away and there had been one thing he had not anticipated: a threat.

"You're mean, you know that?" said Khai. He hoped his words would injure her. "I can't believe you would stoop so low as to use my own mom as a threat."

Azula growled. Her spittle splattered all over Khai's face.

"What if I used _your_ mom as a threat?" asked Khai. "What would _you_ do?"

"I wouldn't care!" Azula screeched instantly and without a doubt. "My mother doesn't _love_ me!"

Khai raised a brow. Azula's reaction had been unexpected. "What do you mean your mother doesn't love you? That's impossible! All mothers love their kids! It's their nature! Moms are supposed to love their children. Anyway, that's what my new mom told me—and she hasn't been wrong yet!" Khai chided

Azula turned away, averting herself from Khai's gaze. "_That's not true…_" Azula whispered. "_My mother hates me… She thinks I'm a monster…_"

Khai left a short chuckle. "That's impossible! No mother would do that to her own child. I bet if your mom saw you right now, she'd see past your mean-_ness_ and she'd hug you the same way my new mom does to me."

Azula was about to break.

Still facing away from Khai, Azula began to tremble. Her teeth were jammed shut. Her eyelids were sealed tight. Her body shook as if possessed. Azula released a feeble cry that Khai clearly heard. The fragile girl was on the verge of tears. Her heart told her she envied the boy. Her mind told her to shut it. The inner battles created inner turmoil until at last, she began to cry.

Azula sobbed.

Khai took a step closer. "_Azula…_"

When Azula turned around to face the boy, she was fierce and demented. Her eyes were bloodshot and her teeth were barred—as if containing fangs. She looked like a mongrel from the depths of darkness. As she tried to reach for Khai, she breathed a sweltering blast of blue fire that sent the boy flying back.

"_THE NEXT SET!_" screamed Azula. "_TEACH IT TO ME!!_"

.

.

.

**Southern Air Nomad Territory, Seas surrounding Whale-Tail Island**

"It must have been the water from the Spirit Oasis," said Katara. "It must have healed your eyes."

The whole revelation had been so amazing and unexpected that everything about the state of the world had been blocked out to be replaced by tremendous volumes of euphoria. To Toph, the sudden sight was terribly blinding and confusing at first. She could not register what she was seeing—the varieties of shades and hues. The friends she had only known by touch and sound were now filled with color. How different they were! Such strange thing it is to see!

Toph felt a head ache coming on and she sat on the bed to get her bearings. "Wow. This is all—_wow…_"

Everyone else was hovering over her, asking her what it was like to see for the first time. But Toph took things the wrong way. She thought everyone was acting too fatherly or motherly to her. She growled many times but no one seemed to stop or to take a hint. "Honestly," she said. "I just feel sick to my stomach. This whole 'seeing' thing is way crazier than I expected. And I didn't expect you guys to look so—_different_."

Sokka was intrigued. "How different?" he asked. And then, he began flexing his muscles in front of her. "I'm more handsome in person, aren't I?"

Toph smirked. "Do you want the truth or do you want your feelings hurt?"

Sokka groaned.

"Tell us," said Aang. "How do you feel now that you can see?"

"Can you still see with your feet?" asked Zuko.

Toph was about to place her feet on the metal floorboards to see for herself when Master Pakku poked his head in their room. He turned to Zuko and said, "We've spotted the island, but you might want to come up. A Fire Nation ship is surrounding the harbor."

Zuko nodded. His duty had been called. "We better go up," he said to everyone.

Pakku went back out and everyone began to stand. But as their group began to leave, Zuko noticed that Toph had been taking more than her share of glances at him. In fact, Toph had been taking odd looks at his face since she started to see. Zuko was ready to blush but he wanted to know why. Why was Toph looking at him too much?

"Toph?" said Zuko bluntly. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Everyone turned to Toph.

They were surprised to find out that she was actually blushing.

The young girl then began to scratch the back of her neck and stutter. "_W-Well…_"

Everyone almost choked, especially Zuko. Something big was going to happen next. And what was better was that Toph was actually going to say it.

Toph pointed to Zuko's face. When she spoke, she said things way too fast to be rational or even human. "Well…" she explained. "I didn't want to say it in front of everyone, but I just noticed that you had this _really_ horrible looking scar on your face… _Where'd you get it?_"

.

o0o

.

Topside, the old and salvaged warship was already surrounded with a thick layer of sun-blocking mist. The Waterbenders had already been busy trying to hide the ship. As soon as the group reached the bridge, Pakku told them what had happened. "We were approaching Whale-Tail Island as planned," narrated Pakku. "But as we began entering the cove, this Fire Nation warship comes in from the side. I immediately took action and told the other Waterbenders to whip up a fog cover. But the warship may have spotted us already. They seem to be coming this way."

Zuko rocked his mind and searched for explanations. "Is it possible that the ship had been captured by someone else and those are _not_ Fire Nation soldiers aboard the ship's deck?"

Pakku shook his head. "I took a look at the cry from the bridge. They're Fire Nation people alright. There's no question about it. The question we need answered now is whether we sink them quickly or strand the ship in the middle of a very sharp ice field."

Zuko took out a spyglass and searched the invading Fire Nation ship deck for a soul.

The ship was a relatively common one—one any could have just taken from the capital's industrial harbor. There were souls onboard the ship. They were indeed Fire Nation people, but they were not soldiers. He could see dozens of people wearing flowing red gowns and robes. These were high-class patrons from the capital. And there was one more thing: a person was waving at him.

Zuko recognized the person instantly. An uneven smile came on his lips.

"Stop the fog," he instructed Pakku. "Those aren't our enemies."

.

o0o

.

The moment Mai came aboard their ship, she ran up to Zuko and kissed him full on the lips. Zuko was strong enough to support the impact, but he was also weak-kneed from the encounter. How could he not be? He was here, out in the middle of nowhere, in the center of an ongoing war, separated from family and some friends, and Mai just comes up to him like a figment of his imagination and smacks him right where everyone can witness—not ashamed or embarrassed. It couldn't have been more surreal.

"_You came back…_" Mai gasped. She was more than happy to see him.

"You came to me," said Zuko with laughter. "Where did you even come from? How are you here?"

Mai turned to the person who had walked by them. It was General Shinu. The man was proud enough to see Zuko alive and well. "I received a letter," he said promptly. "It was a letter instructing us to head to Whale-Tail Island. The letter came from your old master."

Zuko's eyes lit up. "My uncle sent the message?"

General Shinu shook his head. "No. Master Jeong Jeong sent the message."

"Oh," said Zuko, a little disappointed. The disappearance of his uncle was eating him from the inside. Then, he turned back to Mai, who was still hugging him firmly. "This isn't the right place for a reunion."

"Do you think I care?" she asked with a raised brow.

Zuko and Mai weren't the only ones having a reunion. Sokka and Suki got together in a long embrace, all their pent-up feelings bursting in their hearts. They were too speechless to speak or do anything else. Sokka and Suki hugged like they were about to die. They were too exhausted to cry.

But Master Pakku came in to interrupt. He placed a firm hand on Sokka's shoulder. "We need to go now, Sokka," said Pakku. "Whatever we have to do now—the plans, the missions, our destinies—will all be revealed the moment we meet up with the others in the island. This is a truly spectacular place—the forefront of our fate. We must not stop.

"Whale-Tail Island awaits."

.

o0o

.

General Shu lowered his spyglass. "Two ships—heading into a cove of Whale-Tail Island. What do you make of that?

Zhao shook his head. "_Something's going on here and I don't like it…_"

"I've already made check-ups on our men and ships," spoke General Shu. "The manifest shows that the ship that _looks_ like a ghost ship isn't on our list. That would be fine since it looks rather ghostly—but with the inclusion of the other non-registered Fire Navy ship, then this could mean something else. So, that brings me to three things I've made into fact: First, that isn't a ghost ship. Second, the '_ghost ship_' and that other Fire Navy ship are in this together. Third, they're not _ours_."

"_So what are you going to do about it?_" asked Zhao..

"I was thinking maybe you had an idea," said General Shu. "You're the one who's always talking about enemies getting near your precious Avatar. Maybe you had a solution planned out in case anything like this came out."

Zhao turned to the general so they saw eye to eye. "_Let me make this clear to you, general… Guarding Azula was a job I assigned to you. So if there's any planning to do against her enemies, then that's fully your responsibility. And another thing, I have a rather important business to attend to._"

And Zhao disappeared.

An officer walked in and spoke to the general. "What do we do now, sir? Do we pursue the ships and attack?"

"No!" said General Shu sharply. "At least not yet. I need to know if those ships pose a threat. There's no need to waste our resources on two mere ships. What we need to do now is to wait and keep an ever-watchful eye on our two mysterious intruders."

"And what happens if they are our enemies?" asked the officer.

A smile went on General Shu's face. "We get creative."

.

.

.

**Whale-Tail Island (late afternoon)**

Found on the northeastern part of the Southern Air Nomad archipelago, Whale-Tail Island has often been misinterpreted because of its name. The name had been founded by Water Tribesmen who had come by the island before the Air Nomads did. The place had often been mistaken by the idea that the island attracted whales and that the beaches were probably full of them. But this was a lie. The Water Tribesmen, after settling for a day and an hour, had noticed that the island seemed to be bare of whales—none from all sides. They said that the island was indeed the tail of a large whale and that this giant whale had scared off other whales to make the island devoid of them. This was how the name came to be.

The tribesmen were a colorful folk.

Already on the shores of a hidden cove were a gathering of a small bunch of people—mostly escapees who had heard of a resistance forming on the island. Others were Earth Kingdom people that worked with the Mechanist. Teo was waving to the approaching ships from his part of the shore. Others were Earth Kingdom people, like Haru and his family, smiling down from a stalagmite.

Aang, Sokka, Katara, Toph, Zuko, and the rest of the newcomers waved past them as they docked. A bigger reunion was in order.

But Aang realized that there was more to this little crowd.

High above, on one of the larger mounds, were three men who were smiling down at him—at his particular face. They were stoic but still. Anyone could have mistaken them for statues had it not been for their grey hair that was swaying in the wind. Sunlight brightened the sagging muscles on their faces. Two had been wearing purple and white robes with shoulder crests that had flower petals ornamented around the collar.

But the third man, an old man with no hair on top of his dark-skinned head, had not been wearing the same purple-white robes. This man did have a flowing beard. And the man had a white flower pinned to his ragged clothing.

Aang recognized these three old masters as they stared at him proudly.

The two in purple-white uniform were Master Jeong Jeong and King Bumi.

The third one, whom Aang suspected to be a leader of some sort, was none other than the estranged man who had taught him how to control the Avatar State. In fact, that same old man was also one of the White Lotus' high ranking members—a Grand Lotus, if you will.

Yes, that man was indeed Guru Pathik.

.

o0o

.

"Where's your dad?" Sokka asked immediately the moment he stepped off the ship's gangplank. He was talking to Teo—and while he was talking, Sokka stumbled a bit out of excitement. When he got his face out of the rocky shore, he asked again, "Where's the Mechanist?"

"My dad's still finishing up on his experiment. It's very top secret and he hasn't even shown me!" Teo exclaimed. "But my dad says he'll show it to you guys in a while. My dad's all about surprises."

Meanwhile, Toph and Katara were greeting Haru and the other Earthbenders that had gathered here. Haru was surprised to find Toph with the capability to see. Toph was in turn surprised to find out that—"_That's a really horrible moustache… I remember hearing of it before, but MAN, you should shave it off!_"

Zuko, Aang, and Master Pakku (who was now wearing a purple-white robe himself) had walked up to Jeong Jeong, Bumi, and Guru Pathik. Aang and especially Zuko were overjoyed to find them here. The Order of the White Lotus was here so that meant their much needed help was here.

Aang looked at Guru Pathik. "Were you the one who called all the White Lotus members together?"

Guru Pathik nodded with a smile. "Yes, Aang."

Master Jeong Jeong faced Zuko for a second. Master and apprentice locked vision. Jeong Jeong's expression was fierce and Zuko felt that he had done something that should make him feel guilty—_which he did do_. Zuko had created lightning—an art Zuko wasn't supposed to perform or master. '_I hope I am not there to see it…_,' was Jeong Jeong's reply before he left him at the palace.

Jeong Jeong—_Master_ Jeong Jeong—looked at him sternly. It was a penetrating glance.

"I have heard much news about your creation of _lightning_," said the old master seriously.

Zuko bowed his head low. There was no way to escape. He had been caught.

"_Yes, Master Jeong Jeong…_" Zuko replied meekly.

For a second, there was no reply from either teacher or student. But then, Zuko felt an assuring hand on his shoulder. When Zuko looked up, he noticed that Jeong Jeong's expression changed from serious to proud. The man's eyes were shining like the sun. The old man did something Zuko did not expect—_he hugged him._

"_I have heard many things of your creation of lightning…_" whispered Jeong Jeong with pride. "_You have saved someone with it… I… I… I only wish I was there to see it…_"

Aang smiled at the two.

Zuko was bursting with happiness as he heard these words coming from his old master. He turned around to see the people and everyone else who had come here. When he turned back, he faced, Jeong Jeong, Pakku, Bumi, and Guru Pathik. "So where are they? Where's the rest of the army? Are the other White Lotus members eating dinner or something?"

Guru Pathik raised a thick furry eyebrow and turned to the three other members surrounding him. "Well… They're all here… King Bumi, Master Jeong Jeong, Master Pakku—these are all the members I called."

Zuko's smile disappeared instantly.

It seemed that everyone had gone silent.

_These are all the __members I called…_

.

o0o

.

"_WHAT DO YOU MEAN THESE ARE __**ALL**__ THE MEMBERS YOU CALLED?_" Sokka screamed. He had listened in on their conversation and stormed off from the reunion, marching towards the four members of the order. The volume of his voice actually caused some loose gravel to shift out of place. Everyone in the cove turned their attention to the old masters—especially the new comers.

"I am sensing tremendous amounts of negative energy in this one…" noted Guru Pathik.

Sokka took another heavy step forward. He pointed a daring finger at his own step-grandfather, Pakku. "You promised us an _army!_"

"I said the order would _help_," corrected Master Pakku. "I mentioned nothing about an army…"

Sokka exasperated and nearly hyperventilated. He turned to all the people here and made a wide gesture with his hands. "And you call all these people, '_help_'? Sure they'll '_help_', but I was thinking of something of a much bigger size! Even with some Earthbenders, some of the Mechanists men, and a couple of royal Fire people, we're still short of about—oh, say—a _thousand!_ No! Wait! A _million!_"

Suki was about to go forward to stop Sokka, but Toph placed an arm before her and stopped her. Suki read Toph's eyes for the first time and knew what she was saying as if they shared the same mind: _This is Sokka's deal… Let him speak his mind…_

"They've got an armada!" Sokka continued. "They've got warships, war balloons, tanks, and airships! And how are we going to get through that? We only have _two_ warships and the last time I checked, one of them was _scrap metal!_ And I doubt the other warship will stand a second the moment it comes face to face with all those other Fire Nation deathtraps!"

Pakku stepped forward. "Sokka! Wait—!"

"No!" Sokka retorted. The boy was genuinely angry now. He was angry and tired and frustrated and bitter. He wouldn't stop pointing his finger. "I want you guys to _listen_ to me! I'm sure that all the people here are willing to give up a lot of things just so they could make sure the world gets to see the next tomorrow! But that doesn't count for anything if our so-called 'army' is about the size of a puddle with the armada the size of a _forest fire!_ So I want you to listen to me _now!_"

Sokka then turned to Guru Pathik, understanding that he was the leader and the one who had called the three other members of the order. "I want _you_ to call the other members—_no excuses, no dilly-dally_—just send a message out that we need more people to help us! _Four members_ hardly count for anything! So you're going to listen to me and they're going to be here by _tomorrow_! Because _I_ know and _everybody_ knows that at some point, we're all going to make our stand and fight back! Even our enemies know that! So when we _do_, I want to make sure that we're ready and that we have a _chance_ at winning. _This_—" Sokka pointed out, "isn't a chance. It isn't even _half_ a chance. One shot at this little island from a few dozen warships and everyone will be buried underneath rubble and stone—dead, gone, _kablooeee_!"

Guru Pathik stepped forward. "It's not as easy as it—"

"I know," Sokka butted in. He rolled his eyes and pretended to care. "The Order of the White Lotus has rules—_many, many rules_. But since _you _called these three other members, I'm guessing you have a _lot_ of influence. You can gather a lot of people the same way General Iroh gathered all those people for the liberation of Ba Sing Se. But this time will be different. This time, it'll be the liberation of the _whole world_."

"And how are you planning to do that, hmmm…?" asked King Bumi with a widened, quirky eye and a knowing smile.

Sokka suddenly felt his words caught up in his throat. He didn't plan that far. But luckily, he had an '_in-case-of-emergency_' answer.

"Why, with _Aang_, of course!"

Everyone turned their attention to Aang. Heads turned and twisted to look at him. Aang could feel a hundred eyes focused on him and he began to sweat profusely.

"With Aang?" asked King Bumi.

"With _Aang_," repeated Master Pakku, no longer a question but an affirmation.

"Yes," said Sokka, a little more surely now. "Aang can stop Azula. He can take back the Avatar Spirit and win the day. All we need is an army to get past the armada and drop him off at Azula."

"Just like that?" questioned King Bumi with a quirky smile.

Aang pulled on his collar and swallowed hard.

"Aang," affirmed Master Jeong Jeong. "The boy who lost all the power of the world to the hands of a Fire princess and a ghost. Aang—the boy who, until now, can only fight with nothing more than Airbending. Aang—the careless boy who burned your sister, ran away during the day of Sozin's Comet, and _spared_ the Fire Lord—the very same Fire Lord who is enslaving the world right _now_! Aang! Aang is just a _boy!_"

Katara ventured a step forward. "You can't blame him for all those things!"

"Aang saved the world before!" Zuko retorted.

"He saved _all of us!_" Toph chimed in.

Aang didn't want to come in but everyone else did. There were a couple of rebellious fists that were raised against the four members of the White Lotus. They weren't going to take these insults from these old men.

"He even saved you old people!" shouted Suki.

"_True_," said King Bumi. His voice was barely heard from the growing protests. But his next words were clear. "Aang _did_ save the world—but only as _the Avatar_. And may I point out that he _no longer_ is the Avatar."

Everyone went silent again.

Those words cut deep into Aang's heart.

"How can you say that, Bumi?" Katara retorted. "You and Aang were friends! _You_ of all people know what Aang's capable of—even as an Airbender!"

But then, there was a surprising addition to the conversation. General Shinu surprised everyone by saying, "Master Jeong Jeong is _right_…"

Zuko did a double-take on General Shinu. "What are you saying?"

"Pardon me if I sound too rude or discontented," General Shinu said. "Let's _face it_. The boy is nothing but a _boy_ now. How do you expect a mere Airbender to triumph over the Avatar? It was even a miracle how princess Azula took the Avatar Spirit away. There were too many coincidences and we weren't prepared. Aang may be of no help to us."

These words were painful but the truth hurt. The general was speaking the truth. No one believed that Aang could do it. They accepted it from the start.

Bumi smiled at all of them. Master Jeong Jeong and Master Pakku joined in the smile. Bumi allowed Guru Pathik to answer. Guru Pathik answered promptly. "I'm sure all of you believe that it would be better to have sent an entire army to do battle with the Fire Nation, but all of you have to understand that even if I had called for an army, there would be no way to bring balance back to the world. An army will not stop the new Avatar."

"So you believe four members would be _enough_?" Sokka mocked.

Guru Pathik didn't rise to the jibe. "Believe it or not, Aang and his friends are more than enough to bring balance to the world. Though Aang may not have strength or the power to defeat the new Avatar, he has determination to make up for it."

"We will need more than determination to win this war," said Zuko.

"Yes," nodded King Bumi. "And that's why the order is here—to assist Aang and allow him to regain his strength. He will come with us for a while. In the meantime, you and the others should plan out a way to get through that armada."

"Didn't you hear us?" Sokka asked. "That armada's impenetrable!"

King Bumi winked at the young warrior with a crooked smile on his lips. "I'm sure you of all people can think of something. I believe that the people here have one or two tricks up their sleeves."

"How are you going to help me?" asked Aang.

Guru Pathik smiled at the boy. "All in good time, Aang."

.

.

.

**Fire Nation, Grand Plaza, Royal Palace**

Ozai found it hard to focus on his thoughts. He was standing at the palace's veranda, looking at the heavily guarded harbor. He watched the hundreds of soldiers marching up and down the plaza tower. Ozai was no longer patriotic as he saw these soldiers. They were now mere tools to be sacrificed to the necessities of war. He had even called upon children young enough to hold a sword to enlist in the army. Those that dared not enlist would work in the slave mines or be killed.

A new rule was falling over the Fire Nation—one that was more sinister than ever before.

"_Enjoying the view, I see…_"

Ozai turned around and smiled at Zhao. "How is the army by the Southern Air Temple?"

"_General Shu is getting tiresome_," said Zhao. "_He seems to find your daughter a form of nuisance. But aside from that, everything has gone well. The Southern Water Tribe is long gone and the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu is defeated. I expect that the Airbender is still out there, though._"

"And what Airbender can stand against the Avatar?" chortled Ozai.

"_What indeed?_" Zhao agreed.

"And how goes Azula's training? Has she mastered Airbending yet?"

"_She learned it easily. There are no fallbacks. But her teacher seems to bother her. She might have to adjust since the teacher is the only one left who knows about the Airbending art._"

"Azula can adapt to anything," Ozai said.

"_Is that all for my report?_" asked Zhao. The spirit-man seemed ready and eager to leave.

"Not just yet, Zhao," said Ozai. The man began smoothing his long beard. This was how he thought. The gesture soothed his thoughts. He spoke again with a little thoughtful air. "I'm very concerned about my position as leader. The people look up to me again, but what kind of leader am I?"

"_You are the greatest one,_" patronized Zhao.

Ozai did not seem complimented. "Everyone looks up to me again, but what kind of leader do they see? I used to draw respect, but not anymore. I think it is because of my power. I have influence but no power. It is because of my Firebending—I have lost it. And without my Firebending, I am weakened. Zuko confronted me on the day of the eclipse because he knew I could no longer fight back. Imagine if a hundred more '_Zukos_' stood up against me. I can't have that."

"_You want to Firebend again_," confirmed Zhao.

"Yes," said Ozai. "You gave my daughter the ability to take away bending. I believe that with the same power, I can gain back my Firebending."

Zhao smiled.

Without another word, Zhao placed his hands on Ozai's head and neckline. There was a short humming. The ground began to shake and stir. Both Zhao and Ozai's eyes were shining a penetrating light of green. It was a sickening green. When it was all over and Zhao stepped back, Ozai felt his strength returning to him.

And Zhao disappeared.

Ozai rang a bell. A servant entered.

"Send in ten of my most powerful Imperial Firebenders," said Ozai. "Tell them I have something to take from them."

The servant nodded, unaware of what exactly Ozai was planning.

By drawing more energy from more Firebenders, Ozai could not only regain his Firebending, but increase it. Imagine his powers increased ten-fold. What about a hundred? What about a thousand? In his mind's eye, Ozai believed that the comet was no longer needed compared with this ability to bend energy. He had found the ultimate power.

And the first of the ten reluctant Firebenders entered his room.

Ozai smiled cruelly.

.

.

.

**Whale-Tail Island**

"I need to know exactly what we want to do and what we need to go through to get it," said Sokka. "I need to know all the details."

"If the only way to finish this war is to take down the princess," says General Shinu, "Then the only way we're going to do that is if we could actually get ourselves to the Southern Air Temple. I've had a lot of intelligence reports recently and they're all saying that Azula is on the Southern Air Temple, practicing."

"That's why all these ships are here," Zuko realized. "They're surrounding the temple, not only to block the South Pole, but also to guard my sister as she masters Airbending."

"Yes," said General Shinu.

"So our main problem now is how to get ourselves to the Southern Air Temple," Sokka began. "And to do that, we have to get past a lot of Fire Nation machines. Do you have any details, general?"

General Shinu sighed. "Let me put it simply: getting to the princess will be impossible…"

"How so?" asked Zuko.

The general pulled out a map of the Southern Air Nomad archipelago. The islands were tightly packed together with straits of water dividing them. Narrow seas surrounded the central islands. General Shinu began making a large circle with his finger. The imaginary circle surrounded the central islands, but did not fit Whale-Tail Island, which was in the outer regions of the archipelago.

"The central islands are surrounded by four lanes of thick Fire Nation Navy ships," narrated General Shinu. "They've formed a tight six-lane blockade. The line of ships we passed by going here isn't even a scratch of all the ships here. Watchmen guard the waters from day to night. And even if we can get past two or three of the watchmen, we still won't be able to get through the other watchmen—or the blockade."

"And what's beyond that?" asked Sokka.

General Shinu sighed some more. "_Assuming_ we get past the ships and the watchmen and assuming we still have a sizeable army at our control, we'd still be dead. Upon approaching the central islands, worse things block the path. War balloons float by the mountains and act, not only as a defense, but a higher lookout. Getting closer to land would mean things getting _bigger_. Airships guard the mountainside. And they shoot bombs."

Zuko rubbed his face vigorously. Those who had gathered around them groaned.

"And let's assume we get beyond that…" Sokka asked.

General Shinu lifted a questioning brow. "Are you kidding me?"

"Humor me," said Sokka.

The general sighed. "They've got tanks chained to the mountainside as a final line of defense. I've heard rumors of the mountainside looking completely black because of the tanks. That's how many they are. The Fire Nation has blocked all means of entry. They'll be watching land, air, and sea for us. We won't get through."

Sokka sighed. "All these—just for Azula. It's _crazy!_"

"What do you think we'd do to protect Aang?" asked Katara. "The Fire Nation won't risk losing again."

"Katara's right," said Zuko. "My father is going to great lengths to make sure he'd win."

Sokka looked at the map again—at the central island—the one that held the Southern Air Temple. "All this just to protect Azula. It's both crazy and amazing."

"Hypothetically, let's say we get through everything," said General Shinu. "Let's say we somehow make it through the blockade, the war balloons, the airships, and the tanks. Let's say that by some miracle, we plow right through the armada and make it to the Southern Air Temple. What then?"

"Aang faces Azula," said Sokka simply.

General Shinu didn't look pleased. He wasn't satisfied with Sokka's answer. Katara saw it and asked, "What's wrong general? Isn't that enough of an answer for you?"

General Shinu bowed low first. He was trying to build up his courage to speak. "It's just… It's just that… Well… _The boy won't stand a chance!_"

Silence.

"What are you saying, general?" asked Zuko.

"I'm not condemning Aang or anything and I'm sure the boy could probably stand his ground against the Avatar. But you have to think with _common sense!_ With Azula's ferocity and cold-heartedness, she'll kill him! She'll kill anyone who stands in her way!" exclaimed General Shinu.

"He'll stop her, general," said Katara with force. "You can't say Aang's going to lose so quickly."

"What _do _you want me to do?" asked the general with a hint of desperation. "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to have a little faith," Katara said. "I know it's against all your thinking and against all the facts. But I want you to have a _little_ faith…"

Then, everyone was shocked to find General Shinu, a grown and civil man, crying. He did not sob or show facial expressions for his sadness. He just let the tears flow out. "_I can't_," said the general. "_It's impossible…_"

_It's impossible…_

.

o0o

.

Aang was in a dark room, surrounded by four people—the four members of the Order of the White Lotus. They had taken a long walk to reach this confined spot. The four elders squatted in a circle with Aang in the center. Jeong Jeong and Master Pakku were by Aang's side while Bumi was directly in front of Aang. Guru Pathik positioned himself behind him. Candles were lit all around.

"So how is this going to work?" asked Aang. "Will you guys go up to the temple with me and help me fight Azula?"

"No," answered Master Pakku. "We won't be joining you at all."

"Then _how_ are you guys going to help me?"

"Discipline yourself first," said Master Jeong Jeong. "We will explain things in a moment."

Aang sighed and followed. After a few quiet seconds, a voice behind him began speaking. "You are in a very difficult position," said Guru Pathik. "The Avatar and the Fire Nation are once again on the verge of victory. If their actions are to continue, I can see a war that will go on for generations to come. It will be a war like never before—a war without hope or end.

"But before that, there is a small chance to change it. The universe has chosen one person to bring back the balance. That person is a boy who cannot bring hope or assurance. That person is a confused boy who doesn't understand his very own destiny. That boy is an Airbender."

Aang sighed. "I know. I can't bring hope like I used to. I'm not the Avatar anymore."

Bumi snorted. "You don't have to be the Avatar to bring back hope, Aang."

"A number of your friends already have hope in you," said Pakku.

"But it's not enough, is it?" asked Aang with a bowed head.

Jeong Jeong nodded. "Yes."

"It's because I'm not strong enough anymore!" Aang shouted. "Those who believe in me expect me to take down Azula, but I can't! I'm not powerful enough! Those that don't believe in me know that! They know that I'm not strong enough to stop her!"

But behind him, Guru Pathik contradicted. "I used to believe the same thing. I used to believe that the stronger person would always win. But then I realized that I was wrong. You changed my thinking, Aang. You didn't complete unlocking the chakras because you loved someone. I told you to let go, but you didn't. You chose to love someone than to have all the power in the world. I didn't understand why. But that's because I've grown old and I've separated myself from others. I've forgotten how important other people are. I've forgotten the importance of others."

"But friendship won't allow me to win against Azula," said Aang.

"Cooperation can tackle any impossible obstacle," spoke Pakku. "Your friends are a lot more valuable than you can possibly imagine."

"Azula doesn't care about that," Aang retorted. "Azula will kill them all."

"Yes," said Guru Pathik. "I can't see why she won't do it."

"So that's why I have to be strong," Aang said with closed eyes. "Only strength will allow me to protect my friends. Only strength will keep me safe. Only strength will make me win."

"Strength will not take you far," said Jeong Jeong. "Your power is limited to the energy in your muscles or the speed of your thinking. But beyond that, how can you really do anything? How can you really win?"

"What do you want me to say?" Aang asked. "Do you want me to believe in my friends? I can do that."

"Good," said Guru Pathik. "Now, you have to do something that is easier said than done. And for you right now, it may seem impossible, but it is not. I want you to believe in yourself."

Aang nearly laughed. "You're right. It is impossible. How can I believe in myself when I know I'm not strong enough and I still need my friends to pick my fights? I'm not someone to believe in anyway. Ask the others and you'll find that they think the same way too."

"The only way for others to believe in you," said Guru Pathik," is if you believe in yourself."

"How?" Aang asked desperately. "You said it yourself. It's easier said than done. I know what I have to do, but I don't think I can do it!"

"That's where _we_ come in," said Bumi with another one of his winks.

"_How?_"

"We believe in balance, Aang," said Pakku. "We also believe in fairness and justice."

"That is the way of the order," said Jeong Jeong.

Aang scratched his head. "I don't see where this is—"

"Princess Azula of the Fire Nation has taken the Avatar Spirit," continued Guru Pathik. "She has made herself the Avatar and she has mastered the four elements: Water, Earth, Fire, and Air. By doing so, she has become a Waterbender, Earthbender, Firebender, and Airbender. Take note, Aang—an _Airbender_. She has become an Airbender because she took those powers from you. She will make your battle difficult because of this. By becoming the Avatar, she has become the _second_ Airbender—a title which previously belonged to you. This isn't fair at all."

"And how exactly _are_ you going to make it fair?" asked Aang.

Guru Pathik smiled. "Since the princess bended the rules by becoming the _second_ Airbender, it's only fair that there should be _two_ Avatars in this game?"

.

o0o

.

Katara found Toph petting Ummi's fur. She had been looking for her for some time now and it should be odd for her to find Toph here. Katara thought that Toph would be taking in the sights of the place instead of feeling fur. Toph seemed more attached to touching than seeing. But this was also understandable. Toph had been feeling her way around the world since she was born. To suddenly see things must have been a huge impact on the young Earthbender.

"Toph, I'm sorry, but we have to go," Katara interrupted. "It's dinner time and I'm sure you're hungry."

Ummi groaned.

Katara chuckled. "I'm sure you're hungry too, Ummi. We've got lots of hay for you and Appa."

Ummi groaned again. This time, it was because she didn't like hay that much. A few days in the South Pole opened her mind _and_ her stomach to a new variety of food she had never tasted: Seaweed.

"No seaweed here," said Katara knowingly. "You'll have to deal with hay for now."

Ummi groaned again.

"Katara, I have a confession to make," said Toph. She was playing with her fingers innocently but she could not dare to look into Katara's eyes.

"What is it, Toph?"

"It's this whole '_seeing_' thing," Toph said cautiously. "I'm having some problems with it…"

Katara raised a brow. "What are you saying? What problems? Is your vision disappearing?"

"No, no, no…" Toph disproved. "It's just that there're _side-effects_…"

Katara didn't know what to say. She just let the silence between them continue on until Toph decided to continue.

"When I began to see, I don't know how, but I'm becoming a lot more dependant on my vision. It was entertaining at first, but then, I realized things were becoming _different_. When I began stepping on the ship's metal floor, I could still feel my way around, but now, it's becoming fainter and fainter. I'm losing my sense to 'see' things through the ground."

Katara was shocked. "When you began to see, your other senses didn't have to take up all the slack anymore. Your eyes began to take charge as your long-range sense… I'm wondering if you can still Earthbend."

Toph shook her head. "I still can, but it's not the same as before. I have to rely on sight now…"

Katara groaned. "You don't like it, do you?"

Toph shook her head. "I do. I love it, actually—_to see_. I've never seen flying things before or colors or everything else! When I was blind, I didn't have to care about such things… But now that I can see, I've realized how much of the world I missed. I don't think I want blindness again… But I'm worried that by gaining my sight, I may have sacrificed my power… What is more important, Katara? Happiness or strength?"

Katara smiled. "Seeing you so happy right now tells me that happiness is what's good for you."

Toph nodded. But then, "What if I have to fight and I'm not strong enough?"

"I don't know the answer," said Katara. "But if there's one thing you can count on it's that if you need help, your friends have your back."

Toph smiled. "And Katara…"

"Yes?"

"Could you not tell anyone about this?" Toph pleaded. "I don't want anyone else to know that I'm not as powerful as I used to be…"

Katara nodded. "Fine. It'll be a secret between us girls… But right now, you have to get some food in your stomach. If you thought tasting food was delicious, you should see it first. Seeing the food is half of the experience."

.

o0o

.

Pakku, Bumi, and Jeong Jeong all had their hands placed on Aang's head and neckline. Aang was kneeling on the ground while the old masters stood before him. Guru Pathik was still instructing them from behind. The arrangement was unique. Everyone had their eyes closed. Everyone in the dark room was in deep meditation.

"_Water is the element of change_," began Guru Pathik. "_It is both soothing and violent. Water is the source of life and it is also a device of destruction. It comes in all forms and shapes. It flows wherever the land shapes it. It conforms and adapts. Water brings healing. Water brings peace._

"_Earth is the element of substance… It is immovable and firm. It provides people food and shelter. Earth is our home—our solitude. It empowers us with strength and nobility. Only the strong can move it. Only the wise can understand it. Earth is a stronghold for those who seek it._

"_Fire is the element of power… It breathes, it grows, and it dies. Fire can consume and can destroy. But fire can also bring life. Fire creates light—a light that reveals obstacles and clears paths. Fire seeks to clear things. It also innovates and creates. It is more than raging. Fire is warmth…_

Guru Pathik stopped for a moment to clear his throat.

"_And Air… Air is the element of freedom… It is turbulent and unpredictable. Air scatters everything. It breathes life into people. It is unbound and relentless. Air is a force to be reckoned with. For Air is strength of its own. Air cools and warms. Air can be both unstoppable and peaceful. Air is everywhere…_"

And slowly, Aang began to glow.

Aang glowed blue-white.

Seconds later, Master Pakku, King Bumi, and Master Jeong Jeong began to glow. Master Pakku glowed a deep blue. King Bumi glowed a bright green. Master Jeong Jeong glowed with a light orange.

The room was a mix of four amazing colors.

.

o0o

.

Then, Aang's spirit began to take over Pakku, Bumi, and Jeong Jeong's spirit. Aang's blue-white glow began to crawl up their fingers, through their arms, and into their bodies. It was an intensely long process. Guru Pathik softened the moment by humming and chanting. The ground shook. The room was blazing with light. But the other colors were disappearing.

And then, everything was white.

.

.

.

**Southern Air Nomad Territory, Seas south of Whale-Tail Island (late evening)**

A hundred heads poked out from the lower decks of ships. Watchmen and those riding war balloons were instantly drawn in to the sight. General Shu was particularly roused from his quarters. What was happening? Was there an earthquake or a typhoon? What was causing the disturbance?

And then, everyone saw it.

A white pillar of light was shining from atop Whale-Tail Island. The clouds above it became adorned in the same white light.

General Shu turned to his commanding officer. "What do you make of it?"

The commanding officer shrugged. "They say Whale-Tail Island is a magical place. I think this proves it…"

General Shu shook his head. "Wake the captain and tell him to send two ships to Whale-Tail Island. I have a feeling the rebel forces are on the island. I want them dead by the time the captain returns. Is that understood?"

The commanding officer nodded. "Yes, sir."

.

.

.

**Earth Kingdom, Southern seas (late evening)**

The father and daughter from Omashu were tightly squeezed on the front of the ships deck. There were so many prisoners that there was now way anyone could sit. And since they had been walking for days, the lack of sitting would torture them more. The father could not allow this for his daughter so he allowed her to sit on his shoulders despite his exhaustion. He didn't care if he went unconscious despite this.

"What's that, daddy?" cried his daughter.

The father looked up to see a pillar of pure light shining in the distance. He didn't know what to make of it. It was so bizarre to see amazing things on this horrid journey.

"I don't know, honey," was his reply.

Then, a warm sea breeze blew into their faces. The breeze was so forgiving and kind. For a moment, neither father nor daughter felt like they were on a prisoner ship ready to be sent to a concentration camp. They were lost in the magic of the moment.

The father placed the girl down so he could relax.

"I think it's the Avatar…" said the girl.

The father smiled and closed his eyes. "I think so too…"

"Do you think he'll save us?"

Prison guards were walking in, telling the prisoners to keep quiet or they'll be placed in the cargo hold while being chained to the walls. People who were placed in this situation were never given food or water. The only time they'd ever be released is if they prison guards felt merciful. But the guards were never merciful—especially in an odd night like this.

"Daddy?"

The little girl turned around to face her father. He had collapsed on the ground. Other prisoners had caught him as he collapsed. An old man was feeling his pulse but he shook his head. There wasn't even a rise and fall of the man's chest. He wasn't breathing and his heart wasn't beating.

But there was a smile on the father's face.

And a second before the man died, a man heard him say, "_The Avatar… returns…_"

.

.

.

**Southern Air Temple, South wall (late evening)**

"Can we rest?" Khai pleaded. "It's late in the evening and my mom usually tucks me to sleep by now."

"We won't rest until I finish this," Azula rasped.

"Hey!" Khai shouted. "What's that?"

Azula turned around to see a blinding pillar of white light shining on a distant island west of the temple. The sight took her breath away for a second. She took a step forward as if drawn to it.

And then a soft breeze blew right to her. It was similar to a shockwave after an explosion. Something was happening here—something spectacular.

Azula barred her teeth.

"_They're coming…_" she breathed.

.

.

.

**Whale-Tail Island**

"What was that?" Toph shouted.

"Whatever it was, at least the shaking has stopped," Sokka said.

And then, the rumbling came again—stronger this time.

"Don't be so sure, Sokka!" Suki screamed.

But it wasn't the same shaking they expected. The side of their cavern exploded into a hundred bits of dusty pebbles. The dust filled the air and everyone was suddenly coughing due to the sudden earthen disturbance. When the smoke had cleared, they turned to the huge new hole that was on the cavern wall. Four old men were standing there. But in the middle of all of them was a boy with orange flames sprouting from his hands.

Aang.

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"So what's the plan?" asked Aang. "How are you going to get me to Azula so I can stop her?"

General Shinu sighed. "There isn't any."

"It's impossible, Aang," explained Sokka. "They've protected Azula in every way imaginable. To get to Azula, we have to get through hundreds of warships, war balloons, airships, and tanks. We don't have anything that can match that. All we have are two ships and two Sky Bison."

But then, a voice spoke out to contradict.

"_I think I can be of assistance…_"

Everyone turned their heads to see the Mechanist smiling at them.

"Follow me…"

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o0o

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Aang, Sokka, Toph, Katara, and Zuko followed the Mechanist through a dark set of underground passageways that were clearly man-made. There was no light down here. The passageways were not lit by any form of torch. Zuko and Aang had to Firebend just to see. The Mechanist didn't seem bothered by the lack of visibility. He just rolled along in his wheelchair and hummed a song to himself.

"Where are you taking us?" asked Sokka. "Is this something about the whole experiment you've been doing here on Whale-Tail Island?"

The Mechanist smiled, pleased. "Oh, yes. One of the reasons why we transferred here was because of the isolation. Also, this place was _perfect_ for experimentation. I think you'll agree with me."

"I don't understand," said Sokka. "What is this '_experiment_' of yours?"

The Mechanist wagged a finger at him as he rolled on his wheelchair. "I'm not going to spoil the surprise, my boy. Timing is everything."

Suddenly, the tunnel widened into another tunnel, but this tunnel was more spacious and straight. To the right, there was a large opening and everyone was able to take in the starlight outside. On the ground were metal rains of some sort. But the tracks led all the way to the opening. And as everyone soon learned, the tracks led to open air. The opening was fifteen feet off the ground.

All over the tunnel walls were what appeared to be a sort of fabric tied around some sort of skeletal structure. No one knew for sure. On the ground was a large mechanical object. Sokka recognized it immediately.

Sokka picked up the large but lightweight machine.

"This is the engine you placed on my canoe the last time we went fishing!"

The Mechanist smiled. "You remember! I'm very surprised!"

Sokka groaned. "It's not hard to forget something with that kind of noise…"

"Oh!" said the Mechanist. "I fixed the noise problem. It purrs now."

Sokka inspected the engine. "What are you doing with this engine anyway? And what are these things all over the walls? They look like bat wings. What are you trying to do here? What are these rails for?"

The Mechanist smiled. "All your questions will be answered as soon as we get deeper in the tunnels."

As they walked deeper, Sokka kept talking.

"The suspense is killing me! What are you doing here?" Sokka asked. Curiosity got the best of him.

"Remember what I told you when we were fishing?" asked the Mechanist.

Sokka shrugged. "You said that you were finding a way to make an engine that was light enough but powerful to pull itself forward. But it didn't work since your propeller was all wrong. But you went crazy when you discovered that the oar I was using was like a real propeller."

The Mechanist smiled. "Yes. Very good. I also fixed the propeller problem."

Then, the Mechanist stopped moving forward. They had stopped in front of a large contraption. Zuko revealed it by shining light all over it. It wasn't much to look at really.

"The machine is powered by one large lightweight engine I housed in a lightweight metal container. It powers two propellers that drive it forward. It can take two passengers at a time. They sit in a very lightweight wooden container that I've designed from the very wheelchair I'm sitting on. One is the controller and the other is the attacker. At the back are control surfaces that allow the machine to move in different directions."

Toph scratched her head. "You lost me at '_the_'."

"What is it?" asked Katara.

Sokka realized it instantly and his eyes widened with wonder. He touched the contraption's long surface. "It's an artificial Airbending machine… This can make people fly without Airbending…"

"I call it an airplane," the Mechanist announced with pride.

"How far can it go?" asked Sokka.

"It has one large container in the seating compartment," said the Mechanist. "Fill it completely with blasting jelly and the airplane can fly for up to 250 miles before dropping out of the sky."

Sokka smiled. "I'm impressed. What about height? How high can it go?"

The Mechanist scratched his head. "That's the only problem I couldn't pass. The engine may be powerful, but it can only take the plane and a crew of two to a height of twenty feet. Airships and war balloons fly higher than that. But even with that disadvantage, the airplane is still a very reliable craft."

"I'll say," Sokka awed.

"What makes it fly?" asked Zuko.

The Mechanist pointed at the propeller, engine, and wings. "The wings are the ones that make it fly. I've studied the gliders of the Air Nomads and the key is to keep air moving across the wing. Air passing above the wing moves faster than the air traveling below. The propellers draw air from the front and blow it out the back. The plane's speed overcomes gravity the faster it goes. Then, the airplane takes off."

Toph was cleaning her ears of earwax.

"How do they take-off exactly?" asked Sokka.

The Mechanist pointed to the rails on the ground. "These rails act as guide rails for the airplanes to take-off. A catapulting mechanism gives the airplane an initial push out of this tunnel and into the air. And then, the airplane flies freely."

"What about landings?" asked Katara.

"The landings, I—I haven't fixed that part yet…" said the Mechanist. "But these airplanes have skids on the bottom that will allow it to land on smooth enough surfaces."

No one seemed convinced of the machine's safety.

"Have you ever flown on this airplane?" asked Toph.

"A dozen times!" the Mechanist laughed.

"_And…?_"

The Mechanist began scratching the back of his neck. He was embarrassed. "I've crashed them a dozen times… But it's okay now… I've patched it all up…"

"This is truly amazing!" Sokka exalted. "We could easily slip through the Fire Nation armada with an army of this! Imagine it! The Fire Nation looking up seeing speedy people flying in mechanized gliders! They won't stand a chance!" Sokka turned back to the Mechanist. "How many of these bad boys did you make?"

"Eight," came the short reply.

"_Eight!_ That's not much!" Sokka exclaimed.

The Mechanist shrugged. "It's all I could make on such short notice."

Katara placed a hand on Aang. Aang seemed preoccupied with his own thoughts. He just kept staring at the airplane wings as he sat quietly on the ground. "Are you okay, Aang? You haven't said anything about the airplane…"

Aang sighed.

"It's just… It's just… It's just _strange_ to see centuries of Airbender flying suddenly becoming so _artificial_… It took me some years before I could get my first glider. It took me months before I could fly. I can only imagine how hard it was for the first Airbender to fly… But now, all of that is replaced by this..._machine_… It just doesn't feel right… It's like the Air Nomads didn't have to exist for people to fly…"

But the Mechanist spoke up and smiled at him. "Understand this, Aang. The first and _true_ human fliers were the Air Nomads. I can never take that away. This machine cannot change that. But if it makes you feel better, I've made this machine in tribute of the first human fliers. Didn't you notice that the color of the airplane is the same color of your first glider? And look at the shape of the airplane's wings. They're the same fan shapes."

Aang looked at the plane more thoroughly now. The Mechanist was right. In fact, this airplane looked a lot like an oversized Air Nomad glider.

"And if that isn't much of a tribute, I've got _this_ to prove it," the Mechanist added.

The Mechanist placed his hand on the plane's carriage. There was a piece of paper on the front of the carriage. When the Mechanist pulled the piece of paper off, Aang saw a paint marking the paper had left behind.

It was the Air Nomad insignia.

Aang turned to the Mechanist and smiled warmly at him. "Thank you."

The Mechanist smiled at Aang. He bowed at him from his wheelchair and said, "No, Aang. Thank _you_…"

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**Southern Air Nomad Territory, Seas south of Whale-Tail Island (early morning)**

"It's twilight, general," said the first officer. "You haven't gotten any sleep at all."

"The thoughts of my enemies aren't sleeping," said General Shu. "Why should I?" And then, the general switched his thoughts on other topics. "Have you heard news from Captain Lee? Has he found out the rebel hide-out?"

The officer shook his head. "There is word from Captain Lee, but he has found no trace of the rebel hide-out on Whale-Tail Island. His troops are on land right now, scouring the island for any secret place or cave. I will inform you if they find something. Will that be all?"

General Shu nodded.

The old general shifted uneasily in his shoes. He didn't like this at all. The salt in the air was all wrong. The dark twilight seemed unending. General Shu felt uncomfortable being out at sea for so long. He didn't like the nights as well. The sun always gave him some comfort. The nights gave him dread. The nights kept secrets. General Shu hated secrets.

General Shu cast a curious eye on Whale-Tail island.

What was going on all over there?

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**Whale-Tail Island (early morning**)

"Are you ready to tell everyone your plans?" asked Suki. "I've heard you're not really good with public speeches."

Sokka held back a hurl. His face was sickly green. "_Don't remind me…_"

"What about the ships circling around the island?" asked Toph.

"We took those ships out a lot earlier," said Zuko. "Some of the Earthbenders captured the land troops and the Waterbenders stranded some of the ships in blocks of ice and captured their crew too. We've sent a fake message to their commanding officer so no more ships would be sent here and no one would know of what's really going on here."

"What about the rest of the people?" asked Katara. "Are they prepared to go to war?"

Sokka nodded. "The Fire Nation patrons are staying behind. Most of the Earthbenders and some of the Firebenders are loading up our two warships with rocks. They're all getting ready for battle. The Mechanist's men are preparing themselves too. They're the ones who's going to pilot the airplanes. Teo is going with them."

"And what about Appa and Ummi?" asked Aang.

"They're being fitted with armor as we speak," answered Zuko.

"So everything's set…" Suki concluded.

Zuko nodded. "Everyone's ready."

"I'm _not_," said Sokka. His face became green all over again.

But then, a man appeared behind him. It was one of the Fire Nation patrons. He was wearing a black robe with gold lining. Sokka listened to the footsteps and turned around. He recognized the man immediately. "You're Fat—Master Piandao's butler…"

Fat bowed with a smile. "Yes."

"What are you doing here?" asked Sokka happily. "Where's Master Piandao?"

Fat's smiled disappeared. "He's one of the rebels fighting in the Fire Nation. He couldn't come…"

Sokka felt sad. "Oh…"

"But when the master heard of this gathering," said Fat, "he told me to send you these." And the man pulled out two packages. One was long and wrapped in cloth. The other was much smaller and wrapped in paper with twine holding it together. "The master found these on his way back to Fire Nation after the liberation of Ba Sing Se. He was riding his giant Eel-Hound at the time. He's returning it to you."

Sokka opened the packages slowly with much anxiety.

Sokka opened the smaller package first. Not minding how uncivilized he looked, Sokka ripped the paper and twine apart. The moment he saw the package, he couldn't breathe.

It was his boomerang.

Sokka felt tears trickling down his cheek. "_Boomerang came back…_" he choked.

Then, Sokka opened the longer package. But this time, Sokka opened it intricately. He thought his heart stopped when his eyes fell upon the length of the sheath and the sword's hilt. The golden engravings glinted under the low candlelight.

Sokka unsheathed the sword and the sleek black blade was raised over his head.

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o0o

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Sokka stepped onto the platform Toph had made by raising the ground. He was wearing his blue Water Tribe armor without his helmet. Before him was a large crowd composed of Earth Kingdom troops, Southern Water Tribe refugees, Fire Nation patrons and soldiers, and some close friends. Suki was personally giving him a reassuring thumbs-up from the front row.

Sokka swallowed hard and composed himself.

"I'm not really sure how to—"

"Wait!" said the Mechanist as he came forward. In his hands was some sort of large cone. "This is a simple device I made to increase the volume of the voice," said the Mechanist. "You speak into the mall opening and your voice becomes louder on the other end."

Sokka gulped. "Right… Because I want everyone to hear me…"

The Mechanist walked back to the crowd.

Sokka began again. His voice was louder this time. It echoed throughout the cavern. "_I'm not really sure how to begin… To tell you the truth, I really feel sick to my stomach right now and the food didn't taste so good the moment I ate it—_"

"_Pssst!_" came a halting voice from the crowd. It was Suki. "_Stop stalling!_" she whispered. "_Get to the point!_"

Sokka pulled on his collar. Suki was right.

"_By daybreak, we will begin our one chance to save the world._"

That single sentence silenced everyone. All their attention was turned to Sokka.

"_It seems that the world is falling apart all over again. It seems that our enemies are going to end the world a second time. And it seems that we are the lucky people chosen to stop them. But is this something new—something no one has ever faced in the history of mankind? No. The human race has fought off the greatest tyrants, the most horrible of rulers, and the vilest dictators who've all had the single thirst to control our world and shatter the peace we live in._

"_And like all those times, there have always been people who fought against it._

"_Now, let's go into specifics._

"_Our mission will be divided into two groups of people. A majority of you will join the first half—the diversion. The diversion will be taking the two warships and will try as much as possible to hammer the southern end of the blockade. So, with the Fire Nation concentrated on the southern portion of their armada, the offensive will come in from the west._

"_The offensive will be taking the eight planes. My friends will be riding the two Sky Bison and will lead the charge. The eight airplanes will be lined up beside the Bison in a large "V" formation. So Appa and Ummi in front while the airplanes tail by the side. Their mission is to plow a straight line through the Fire Nation forces and protect the one person flying in the middle._

"_That would be Aang—the Avatar_."

Sokka took a moment to look at Aang. Aang nodded at him.

"_My sister and a few of the Waterbenders will create a large cloud to encompass the entire air fleet. This will act as a form of camouflage before we initiate the attack. Our air fleet will break through the lines of Fire Navy ships and pass them. But since the airplanes can fly only so high, those riding on Appa and Ummi will have to take out the war balloons and the airships along the way. Also, due to the airplanes low-flying abilities, they will be confined to the waters around the islands._

"_If we make it to the central island, only the Sky Bison will accompany Aang to the top of the mountain—to the Southern Air Temple. We will be annihilating the tanks along the way as well. By the time we reach the top of the mountain, Aang is dropped off and he finishes this with Azula once and for all._"

Sokka took a second to breathe-in a huge gulp of air.

"_I know what most of you are thinking… 'We're going to lose'. 'The Avatar is on their side now'… 'The battle for our existence begins'… But let me tell you the truth… The Avatar is on OUR side—has been and always will be…_

"_Would I be lying to you by saying that we should fear enemies? No. If you look at all the intricate plans our enemies have placed against us, it shows that our enemies are the one who are afraid of us. They desperately try to prevent us from winning. And what kind of enemy would not fear us? We are a force to be reckoned with._

"_By the time the sun rises, our enemies will be waiting for us, watching from a distance. They will be very prepared—prepared to kill all of us with one shout of an order. But then, they will see us coming in. They will see us with our determination and passion to finish this. A shiver will run up their spines. They will tremble where they stand. They will be afraid of us._

"_We are coming for them—make no mistake. We are coming for them…_"

And then, Sokka unsheathed his sword and pointed the sharp end to the ceiling.

"_WE ARE COMING!!_"

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Aang watched as the first rays of sunlight began to shine through the many mountains of the archipelago. Dawn was coming. Everything was about to start. Everyone was in their places. Everyone was prepared. Even Aang was prepared. He was more than prepared. In fact, he was born for this exact moment in history. The fate of the world was on his hands.

"Are you ready?" asked Toph. All his friends were standing by the island's eastern cliff-side. Appa and Ummi were with him too and they were dressed in gold and red armor.

"I'm ready," Aang answered.

"There're a couple of things you need to know before we go off," said Sokka. "Throughout this whole mission, we will be protecting you. You will be flying on your glider in the middle of the 'V' formation. But when we are in battle you mustn't fight back. Even if something bad happens to one of us, you mustn't try and save us. Right now, our mission is to protect _you_ and you can't fall out of formation. You'll need all your strength the moment you face Azula. Promise me, Aang.

"Promise me right now, that no matter was happens, you'll just keep flying forward—towards Azula."

Aang stepped back. "_No matter what happens…? But what if one of you guys gets hit or falls from the sky! I have to save—!_"

Sokka shook Aang's arms. "Promise me! We can't lose you right now! Do you hear me, Aang? You're the only one who can bring Azula down. You have all the elements again. You can't fall out of formation. Promise me!"

Aang looked into Sokka's eyes and replied with a shaky, "_I promise…_"

Zuko stepped forward to give his own advice. "When you're facing my sister, make sure you don't hurt her too much. It could trigger her Avatar State and you might not be able to fight against that. Do you understand? Don't trigger her Avatar State."

Aang nodded meekly. "I understand."

"I got something that might help you with Azula, Twinkletoes," said Toph as she came closer. She pulled out a small stick of dynamite from her pocket. "I found this in the Fire Nation ship and I thought it might come in handy. Here. You take it."

Aang felt the stick of dynamite in his hand. He shook his head. "I don't think I'm going to use this."

Toph shrugged with a smile. "Oh well… I was just trying to help. I guess all I have to say for now is a small good luck and make sure you leave a piece of Azula for me to kick at."

Aang smiled. "I'm not promising anything."

And the small group hugged one another for the last time. Pretty soon, they began walking away. Sokka and Suki began climbing Appa while Toph, Haru, and Zuko climbed aboard Ummi. That left one last person: Katara.

Katara and Aang just stood there smiling at each other, speaking whatever they needed to say through their thoughts and their smiles. They relished the moment for what seemed like an eternity. And in a final moment, the two leaned closer to share a soft but sad kiss.

The kiss lasted longer than an eternity.

When Katara finally pulled away, she was crying and choking on her own sobs.

"_That was one of those 'better-now-than-never' kisses wasn't it?_" Katara asked in between sobs. "_Or one of those 'before-we-die' kisses?_"

Aang pulled Katara into a hug. He breathed in her hair and savored its fragrance. He too was crying, but Aang chose to smile today and that was the most wonderful thing about their romance. Aang could smile through anything and that made Katara smile too. It made Katara stronger.

"No," Aang responded. "I kissed you because I love you—simple as that."

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The air fleet rose with the sun.

Bright sunlight allowed the fabric over each of the airplane's wings to shine and glisten with the light. This shine appeared the moment each of the airplanes catapulted from their railings and out into open air. Then, these contraptions—all foreign to flight—began to come together into a large "V" formation in the sky. In the apex of that formation, two Sky Bison had positioned themselves. And all these things surrounded the object of complete importance—Aang.

As the fleet moved across the beautiful morning waters, their shadows created majestic forms. They glided through the air without causing much disturbance at all. Even the birds flew with them, acknowledging their space in the sky.

Aang watched from his vantage point.

People flying on wings.

Two Sky Bison.

And one Airbender on a small blue glider.

To anyone who could see, it would have appeared that somehow, the past had returned to strike back. It would have appeared that the Air Nomads had returned to the world.

And why not?

Avatar Kyoshi did say that, "_The spirit of the Air Nomads isn't as gone as you think. They live in the world, in the people, in everyone's hearts, and in you…_" Aang now understood what she meant.

And Aang believed it.

The Airbenders had made their return at last.

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	23. The Avatar: Fire

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Book 4

_Air_

Chapter twenty-three:

The Avatar: _Fire_

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**Southern Air Nomad Territory, Far Western Island (Dawn)**

Ever since the disappearance of the Air Nomads, people have been occupying their territory. Some Earth Kingdom people have moved south from their regular territory to these uncharted islands that were said to be forbidden from passing a hundred years ago. Now, they are home to hundreds of villagers. These villagers have been living peacefully and undisturbed for the length of the hundred-year war. And when peace had finally broken through that war, they were even more contented.

But then, a few months after the war was broken, Fire Navy ships returned to these waters and took over their little village.

Now, everyone was forced to labor hard for these men. There were curfews at night and there were taxes to be paid. No one had the time for rest as these merciless Fire Navy scoundrels would find any lazy fool and beat them to death. An easy death would be death by fire. No one wanted that.

By day, those too young, old, or sick to work would band together in one house and stay silent until they could return home to their families. The old had to cover the ears of children whenever someone outside was being beaten down.

But when things were quiet, everything turned around.

The old villagers would calm the kids by gathering them into sitting circles. When the children stopped crying or screaming, the elders would begin by telling them stories of their place and what it used to be. They would go deep into their imaginations and they would conjure up fanciful tales of a lost culture that had died off hundreds of years ago.

The children would listen to the story of Airbenders.

"Once upon a time, there were Airbenders. They were different than us," said the village elder. "Some who have claimed to have seen them would often question whether they were a mix of people or birds."

"So they're not human," said a girl.

The elder shook his head. "They are human. But they were different from us."

"How different?" asked the child.

The elder's eyes widened and enthralled. He would lean closer like he was telling a secret. And with a small voice, he would surprise them every time by saying, "_They can fly…_"

The children would gasp every time they heard this, despite the fact that they had heard this same story a dozen times. But why shouldn't they be amazed? This was a world of imaginations and fantasy. Who in their right mind would not want to give up a lifetime of slavery to have the ability to take to the skies and soar with the wind? These stories were an escape for the children—a chance of hope among the hopeless. _A bright light in the darkness_…

"So they're like _angels_…" said another little one.

The elder chuckled. "Maybe."

"I want to be an Airbender," said a young boy. "I'd get to have wings grown on my back and I can fly like an eagle. I'd be able to leave this crazy place."

The old people laughed with him.

Then, the elder raised his finger, telling them to quiet down. "My story isn't finished yet! Shhh! I forget to tell you the important part. Because, you see, the Airbenders have a very big secret—a secret that has passed down from generation to generation. And _I _know their secret very much."

The children leaned closer. They were hooked. "_What secret…?_" they gasped.

"_The Airbenders will come back…_" said the elder in a hushed tone to prevent the Fire Nation soldiers outside from listening. "_One day, when you wake up, when the Fire Nation soldiers are gone and the world is quiet, you'll see them coming out of the mountains… They'll come back… Wait and see…_"

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~o0o~

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Story time was over. The children were being tucked into their beds with pieces of wool in their ears so they would not be able to hear the screams outside. Most of the old villagers had gone to sleep too. They could sleep despite the horror outside. They had learned to live with that noise. But if there was one person who could not sleep, it was the elder.

The elder was watching the sun rise in the east. Another day, another life of slavery.

In a few days, the elder was going to die. He knew it. He wasn't just an elder, he was also older. And that meant he was nearing his expiration date. And he wasn't the only one getting older. The children were growing older too. By next week, the elder had heard of Fire Nation plans to take those children who had grown old enough to work. They would be placed in the mines. And the older they grew, the clearer it would be for them to understand that the Airbenders weren't coming back. The Airbenders would be just another long lost story to them.

The elder sighed. He wished he didn't have to lie to them with his fantastical stories.

The old man looked to the west and noticed the storm clouds were approaching. That was a bad sign—an omen. Dark times were upon them. Hope was thinning out.

The old man sighed again.

But something caught his eye. He stared back into the storm clouds and saw odd shadows within it. Could it be? No. He was sure they were just stories. But how could he deny it? They were there!—right in front of his eyes! What was he supposed to do?

The old man ran out of his hut and stumbled. But he never took his eyes off the storm clouds. Fire Nation soldiers quickly came to him and yelled. "_Hey! Old man! Get back to your house!_"

But the old man no longer cared about their silly orders. What he was witnessing was far beyond fear. He just stood there, gazing up into the sky.

There was a low-lying fog just beyond the island. The Fire Nation soldiers didn't seem to notice it at all, but the old man did. And deep in its interior were silhouettes of things that should have been kept in his stories. He was witnessing things that should have only existed a hundred years ago.

It began with this old man.

And pretty soon, word was spreading.

"_Airbenders…_" he gasped.

Word was spreading.

"_Airbenders…_"

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By the time the sun had risen, people from all over the world were turning to the sky.

Maybe some of them had sensed the approaching dawn. Others might have felt the change in the wind. A big change was coming. It was in the air. It was an irresistible scent. It was impossible to ignore. Hope was still on the rise. Hope was still coming. Even the Fire Nation sensed it.

And the Fire Nation had prepared for it.

The Fire Nation had thrown all its machinations, all its arms, all its men, and all its forces to surround their one bid for victory. It was madness to try and go against them. It was not a question of sanity. It was a question of morality. Whoever goes against the Fire Nation will surely die. That's a promise. And no one was going to question that threat.

Or so they believed.

Because beyond their borders was a shining fleet of hopefuls that had braved their ranks and taken to the sky. They were a menacing opponent to be dealt with. They had weapons that could soar like birds and hearts that shined like the sun. They had the bravest of men to fight with. And they were on their way, approaching like the breaking of dawn.

And as their formation edged closer to their enemies, a glorious shadow was cast on the crystal clear waters below them, moving faster with each passing second.

Yes, it was clear that most of them were going to die.

But death cannot break them.

They stand in the face of horror—at the end of their worlds and at the brink of extinction—to fight for their right to be free and for their right to have peace. Let their paths be cleared and their visions be straight. Let every man or woman who stands against them shake and tremble with their approach. Their battle cries will reach the four corners of the globe.

These were the heroes of the world.

These were the legends.

And hope—it was with them—_taking to the skies_.

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**Southern Air Nomad Territory, East of the Patola Mountain Range**

The alarm bells were ringing all over the ship. General Shu had sounded them off, indicating they were under attack. Everyone was going to their stations. Messages had been flown over saying that the southern portion of their blockade was being hammered away by a mix of Waterbenders and Earthbenders on two Fire Navy boats.

"I knew it!" exclaimed General Shu. "The rebels _did_ take those ships! And now, they're hammering our defenses at the southern end!"

"What should we do, sir?" asked one of the younger captains.

General Shu pointed to the map laid out in front of them. He stared at the rings of Fire Navy ships that surrounded the central islands. It seemed like there was no way two rebel ships could possibly get through.

Zhao appeared and answered for the general. "_I want all your forces concentrated on the southern portion of the armada._"

General Shu turned to Zhao. "But isn't that unwise? These are just _two_ boats. There's no way they could manage to get through! And also, if we concentrate on the southern end, we would be removing ships from all corners of the armada. We'd be weakening the rest of the blockade!"

Zhao twisted his face into an angry expression. "_Listen to me, General Shu… Our enemies have just revealed themselves to us… And believe me, they have found a way to break through the blockade despite your doubts… They will destroy the southern portion unless you send in reinforcements. I don't care if we lose some ships on this side. I just want the Avatar protected. Is that clear?_"

"But that would mean—"

"_**IS THAT CLEAR?**_"

General Shu gulped. "Yes… But there will be some delays. Storm clouds are gathering. The clouds have grown dark overhead and a typhoon could force some ships to go astray. Also, we've had some fog approaching from the east. It might slow us down."

"_You will send your men south,_" directed Zhao. "_That is an order…_"

General Shu sighed. He had no say in the matter.

"Yes, sir."

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Zuko listened to the drone of their fleet. The humming of the surrounding airplanes seemed to mimic the very birds Zuko used to hear in his courtyard. Zuko couldn't help but get lost in this peaceful noise.

Meanwhile, Sokka was busying himself with preparations. Along the way, the young warrior gave off commands by shouting it to the rest of the fleet with the help of his trusty bullhorn. Everyone around him were annoyed. Suki, Sokka, and Zuko were on Appa while Katara, Toph, and Haru were on Ummi.

"_WE MAINTAIN THE FOG FOR AS LONG AS WE CAN!_" Sokka announced. Katara, with the help of three other Waterbenders aboard the other airplanes, was bending a large mist to cover the entire air fleet as they skimmed the waters below them. "_THE ONLY WAY WE CAN STAND A CHANCE AGAINST THEM IS IF THEY DON'T SEE US COMING!_"

Then, Suki suddenly came in with a small cylindrical item in her hand that was made of bamboo. "Sokka…? What's this do?"

Sokka turned around, along with the bullhorn, and faced Suki.

"_CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN?_"

The loudness of Sokka's voice in proportion with the proximity was enough to drive Suki bonkers. "_Can you get that out of your mouth? You've been shouting in that thing since we took off!_"

Sokka put away the bullhorn. "Sorry. Can you repeat what you asked?"

Suki patted the bamboo cylinder in her hand. "What is this?" she repeated.

Sokka scratched his head and realized he didn't know exactly. So, with that in mind, he turned to the nearest airplane that was behind them on the right. Sitting on the attacker seat of that plane was Teo. On the pilot seat was the Mechanist. Sokka lifted the bamboo tube up so he could see it and Sokka placed the bullhorn to his mouth.

"_HEY? WHAT DOES THIS THING DO?_" yelled Sokka.

The Mechanist heard Sokka's voice and saw him lifting up the item in question. He then pulled up a bullhorn from under his seat.

"_IT'S A BAMBOO CANNON!_" answered the Mechanist. "_IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO EARTH KINGDOM FIREWORKS, BUT THAT ONE IS POWERED BY SPARK POWDER! LIGHT THE FUSE AND AN EXPLOSIVE SHOOTS OUT THE FRONT. IT WORKS VERY MUCH LIKE A FIRE NATION BALLISTA. BUT THIS ONE IS SMALLER AND CAN BE MOUNTED ON THE SHOULDER. BE CAREFUL THOUGH… THERE ARE ONLY SEVEN CASINGS…_"

Sokka stared at the small weapon in his hands. "A small cannon made out of bamboo… This will help us a lot…"

But then, Suki grabbed it from Sokka's hands. Sokka angrily glared at her but Suki just stuck her tongue out playfully. "_I saw it first…_" came her coy remark.

Katara, on the other hand, was resting from her strenuous continuation to hold up the mist. She sat down on Ummi's saddle and took in a large helping of cold water. As soon as she was done and she had closed the lid, Katara turned to Aang, who was holding his own as he flew right behind her.

"How's it going?" Aang asked with a curt smile.

Katara couldn't help but smile in return. "What are you doing? You're supposed to be in the center of the formation. Get back there."

"It isn't starting yet," Aang answered. "I decided to hang out here for awhile." But then, Aang noticed Katara's expression. She was smiling, but underneath it was worry and it had only registered the moment Aang had come up to her. "Is something wrong?"

"Why do you say so?" asked Katara, still holding her smile.

"I can tell when you're worried," Aang chuckled. "I know you too well."

Katara's smile immediately changed into a frown. "Aang… It's just that I'm really, really nervous about this. We'll do our best to bring you to the temple, but what about you. Are you ready?"

Aang nodded. "I'm ready as I'll ever be."

"I hope so," Katara remarked. "I trust in you, but I hope that—when the moment comes—you can trigger your Avatar State and take Azula down."

Aang shook his head. "It's not like that. You guys keep calling me the Avatar but I'm not _exactly_ the Avatar. There're just similarities."

Katara raised a brow. "_Similarities?_ What do you mean?"

"The Order of the White Lotus didn't _exactly_ make me the Avatar. All they did was allow me to take away Master Pakku, Master Jeong Jeong, and Bumi's bending spirits. They just _gave_ me their bending. I can bend all four elements, alright… But I don't have the Avatar Spirit. I'm not the Avatar," Aang answered. "Azula still is."

"You _don't_ have the Avatar Spirit?" Katara asked again.

Aang shook his head. "I only have the four elements."

"But you still have a chance, right?"

Aang smiled. "Of course."

Katara smiled again. "Then there's still hope."

"I just hope I can get there," Aang worried.

"Don't worry about that," Katara laughed. "We'll get you there. That's a promise! Because everyone here is fighting for you, Aang. They won't stop until you reach that temple. That's what we're here for—to see that you're safe. So you just get back to the center and watch us do our jobs. Leave everything to us."

"Are you sure you guys can hold off an entire armada?" Aang questioned.

Katara clasped her hands together. "We'll risk everything we have for you, Aang—even if it means sacrificing our lives just to protect you."

Aang's eyes widened with horror. "_Whoa! Whoa!_ You don't _really_ have to do that for me…"

"We will if we have to," spoke Toph as she cut in. "Everyone here has proven their right to assist you. Everyone here is ready to die for you. And maybe that's what we were born for. Maybe that's what we've been living for. And that's definitely what we'll die for."

"So a salute to you," joined Haru. "To Aang—the Avatar!"

"_HERE! HERE!_" came Sokka, Suki, and Zuko's reply.

"_**HERE! HERE!**_" came the resounding answer of the rest of the fleet.

.

.

.

**Southeastern Seas**

The submarine fleet had resurfaced for the fortieth time since the long trip to the Fire Nation capital. The waves lapped around the submarines' wood and metal hull. Meanwhile, both warriors and Waterbenders had gone up to the surface to feel the fresh air and warm their faces under the light of the early morning sun. This time, even Hakkoda, who had stayed below deck during the resurfacings, was outside stretching his limbs.

"You're actually outside," noted Bato with surprise.

"It's a new day," said the chieftain. "And I don't have to be trapped in that large swimming coffin all day, now do I? How is the rest of the crew? Are the Swampbenders doing fine?"

"Ask them yourself," pointed Bato. "Huu's right behind you."

Hakkoda turned around and saw Huu smiling at him as he rubbed his wondrous round belly. "You've gone outside at last… You don't usually do this when we go to the water's surface," said Huu.

Hakkoda smiled. Everyone must have noticed. "I'm sorry for that. It's become redundant, these resurfacings. The only reason I stayed inside is because we were mostly traveling at night and there's nothing really to see when it's dark outside."

Huu smiled. "Very wise."

"And how are the rest of your men?" asked Hakkoda. "Are they tired?"

"Not at all," said the experienced Waterbender. "But they are homesick… They miss the free spaces of the swamp. These machines we're in do not actually give in to freedom. But it's a sacrifice they're willing to make. They're freedom or their home. They chose freedom."

Hakkoda smiled. "That's exactly what I would have chosen."

"Do you miss them?" asked Huu.

"Who?"

"You're family."

Hakkoda laughed as if it had been a joke. "Of course I do. They're my whole life."

Huu scratched his belly. "Then why did you leave them? Why did you leave your home?" asked Huu.

Hakkoda stepped back a bit. "The same reasons you and your Waterbenders left yours. For freedom—to be free of this war so my children won't have to suffer no more."

"That's not the same reasons we left ours," said Huu. "We left our homes to join you. Now, what you decide and how you're going to obtain freedom is entirely up to you."

"Are you saying I made a bad choice?" Hakkoda asked.

"No," said Huu. "But there are more than one ways to obtain freedom."

Hakkoda chuckled again. "You're talking about Aang, the Airbender."

"No. I'm talking about Aang, the Avatar."

Hakkoda released a great sigh. "What my children are asking from me are a lot. I'm not sure I can trust in the boy. And stopping Ozai is the only way I know how to stop this war once and for all."

"Maybe your children know of another way," Huu answered. "They're not asking you to trust in the boy. They're asking you to trust in them."

Hakkoda began to exasperate. All this thinking was against his better judgment. "Are you saying I should turn back—_help them?_ But what about Ozai?"

Huu pulled out a flower from his loincloth. Hakkoda had recognized it before. Pakku had planted many of them around the Spirit Oasis in the South Pole. It was a White Lotus flower. "There are people who are going to take care of that," said Huu. "But right now, you have an obligation…"

Hakkoda wasn't going to change course yet. He wasn't sure.

"I'll decide by the end of the day," said Hakkoda.

"Fair enough," answered Huu in a curt manner.

Hakkoda was still thinking about their conversation. He was starting to get worried about his children now. What were they doing at this point? Where were they? How sure was he that they'd stayed put? How sure was he that the Fire Nation had done nothing to them?

"What if I change course, but I don't make it in time?" rattled Hakkoda. "_What if, by the time I decide to go there, they're already dead…?_"

Huu smiled and patted Hakkoda lightly on the shoulder.

"Time is an illusion…and so is death…"

.

.

.

**Southern Air Nomad Territory, East of the Patola mountain range**

"_Great…_" moaned General Shu. "_It's raining…_"

The elements seemed to be against them. Since the start of the attack on the southern portion of the blockade, dark clouds had set themselves high in the sky. Finally it had released its load. This was a strange occurrence but not uncommon. Rain during the autumn season was rare, but maybe not in these parts. Millions of watery droplets were raining out of the sky. The winds were increasing too. This was turning out to be a storm.

"This is going to slow down the reinforcements," said the general's first officer. "The winds are really picking up. Squalls can develop easily on these parts. Our ships will pay a heavy price for staying this far out at sea."

General Shu shouted angrily into the heavens. "_What a beautiful day!_"

"It is, sir," said the first officer.

"I was using _sarcasm!_" said General Shu angrily.

But the first officer pointed to the sky. "Oh but it is… Despite the rain, the sun is still up… Look, sir!"

And the officer was right. The storm clouds weren't so tightly packed together. There were many openings in the clouds and sunlight was peeking through all of them. Even in the dark, the sun shines through. How terribly odd.

"That _is_ strange…" noted the general.

"But there are even stranger things, sir," said the first officer. "The fog we spotted earlier is still coming in. It's moving faster than we thought. In fact, it's already come over some of the outer Fire Navy ships. In a few minutes, it'll pass through us. We won't be able to see in it the moment we're inside."

General Shu sighed. "More bad news…"

The first officer wasn't finished. "That wasn't the strange part, sir. Some of the watchmen say that they've spotted _things_ inside the mist. It's creeping a lot of the soldiers, sir…"

"_Things_, you say?" asked General Shu.

General Shu nodded. "Yes, sir."

General Shu took out his spyglass and turned to the fog. It was a low-lying fog and it was approaching really fast. And even from outside, General Shu could see shadows lurking from within, moving in pace with the fog. Maybe it was just a trick of his imagination. But to be sure, General Shu peered through his spyglass. He saw them alright—these _things_. Some of them looked like shadowed kites, but they were flying. And none of these _things_ flapped their wings. These weren't birds.

"I see them," gasped the general.

"What do you make of them, sir… ghosts?" asked the first officer.

A chill ran through General Shu's spine. His whole body began to rattle uncontrollably. "These aren't ghosts… This is far worse…"

"What do you mean, sir?"

General Shu placed down his spyglass.

"_We're under attack…_"

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"_WAIT FOR MY SIGNAL…_"

Everyone was itching to attack. Below and around them were the Fire Navy ships—the first in the blockade. They seemed so vulnerable and unaware that the fleet knew they would just jump out of their skins when they saw them coming. Those on the rickety, two-seater planes were also itching for the attack. Those on the attacker seats were holding cords that were linked to small rockets mounted on the side of their carriages. Suki and Haru had placed their miniature bamboo cannons on their shoulders.

The only thing holding them back was Sokka's word.

"_WAIT FOR IT…_" Sokka announced through the bullhorn.

As seconds passed by, their fleet flew closer to the first of the ships. And the closer they went, the more their enemies would spot them through the clouds. Sokka was really taking his time with this.

"_WAIT FOR IT…_"

Zuko was already too impatient. "Don't you think we've held fire long enough?"

Sokka kept watching through the mist. He paid no attention to Zuko, but rather, the distance it took to reach the first rows of ships. It was not yet time. But they were almost there… Almost… Almost…

Sokka licked his lips.

Almost…

_Almost…_

_Almost…_

"_**SOKKA!**_" shouted the others. Their voices could probably be heard from below.

And then, Sokka saw it—_finally_.

"_**FIRE!!!**_"

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~o0o~

.

From the soldier's point of view, it appeared that the creeping fog, _which was everywhere_, had suddenly exploded. Ten fiery rocks suddenly blazed out from the thick fog—_heading towards them_. The view had been so stunning that everyone became stupefied. All the soldiers and watchmen craned their necks to see the approaching missiles. They all watched silently. Silence. Everything but the fiery missiles made no noise. Not even the sea or the rain made noise. It was all silent.

Then, the missiles crashed into three large warships, sinking them immediately. Smoke trailed each of the missiles and they stayed there even after they hit the ships.

And when those missiles hit their targets, all the noise came back.

.

~o0o~

.

"_WATERBENDERS! HOLD THE FOG FOR AS LONG AS YOU CAN! EVERYONE ELSE PREPARE FOR THE SECOND SHOT!_"

Far below, the soldiers were running in circles on top of their ship decks, screaming that the heavens wanted to kill them. Those that realized that war was afoot already began raising the catapults and ballista on their ships. But they were mostly in a state of panic and confusion.

"_READY?_" Sokka resounded."_FIRE!!!_"

Another barrage of explosives shot out from the mist and crashed onto four other ships. Another long trail of smoke scratched through the air. Everyone on the fleet was coming strong with battle cries. The confusion, chaos, smoke, fire, and screams were a lovely effect added into the ambush.

Sokka looked down and saw that some of the farther ships were already loading their catapults and ballista with lighted boulders and earthen explosives. One attack from these things and their air fleet would go down like flies.

But luckily, they were smart flies.

Sokka turned to Toph and Haru. "_THEY'RE LOADING UP THEIR WEAPONS! YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT TO DO!_"

The two Earthbenders nodded.

Sokka then turned to his sister. "_KATARA! FREEZE THOSE SHIPS IN PLACE!_"

.

~o0o~

.

General Shu grabbed the ends of his hair. "_Are the heavens angry at us?_"

The veteran ran out of the bridge. On the deck were dozens of wary soldiers stumbling around like drunkards, trying to find reason for all this chaos. Nothing was making sense. Fire was raining down from the heavens and there were now sizeable holes on their hull. A few more holes and this ship would have sunk.

They had been caught unprepared.

"_You!_" barked the general. "_Raise the catapults! Don't just stand there and watch the sky fall! Raise the catapults!_"

Suddenly, the ship began to rock heavily. It seemed like the storm had caught up with them.

"_Helmsman!_" shouted General Shu. "_Did we strike a reef?_"

"_The ship's frozen in place!_" shouted the helmsman. "_I can't steer her!_"

"_What do you mean, 'frozen in place'?_"

The ship shook again. And this time, General Shu ran to side of the deck and saw what had exactly struck the ship. A rapid build-up of ice had frozen over the side of the hull and turned the entire thing into a floating iceberg. Movement was impossible.

The general turned to the first officer. "_Send some men down there to thaw out the ice! But make sure the catapults are ready before then!_"

"They already are," said the first officer.

"THEN SHOOT DOWN THE FOG!"

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~o0o~

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"_FIREBALL AT THE LEFT! HARU! THAT'S YOUR CALL!_"

Haru stood up and watched as the fireball came flying through the mist. It was hurtling towards one of the airplanes. The young Earthbender had to stop it quick. He leveled his upper body and rapidly punched the air before him, aiming for the fireball. In the blink of an eye, the fireball imploded on itself, turning into millions of harmless rubble that drifted away in the breeze.

Haru admired the effect.

But not for long.

There was more coming.

"_TOPH! TO YOUR RIGHT! FIREBALLS!_"

There were seven of them. But they too disappeared into dust as Toph raised her fingers, and with each individual digit, crushed the rocks by turning them inside-out. Toph admired the effects too—not because she loved Earthbending, but because she could _see_ how it looked like.

Zuko looked up to see the ships ahead. They were piling together now. The moment of confusion was now lost. The ships would now band together and fix the weakened blockade. "Sokka!" announced Zuko. "Six ships dead-ahead!"

Sokka nodded.

"_WATERBENDERS! I NEED A BIG WAVE! PUSH THOSE SHIPS ASIDE OR RAM THEM TOGETHER!_"

Katara and the other Waterbenders on separate planes slowly breathed and stopped bending the fog.

.

~o0o~

.

It was like something out of a horrible fishing story.

Since the Waterbenders stopped Waterbending the fog, the chilly mist disappeared and started to retreat. And as the fog dissipated, the air fleet revealed itself in all its glory. From below, it was a sight to behold—like the past coming back to life. _Flying people_. How incredible.

This moment of awe also brought in a few second's chance.

Quickly, the Waterbenders raised a huge wave of water that towered a mere ten feet above sea level. But even though this wave was not exactly high, it was monstrously wide, easily spanning the length of five Fire Navy ships that lay tip to tip on the water. The huge water arch was seen well from above by the Waterbenders. With Katara in the front, they easily pushed the wave forward.

And when its large shadow darkened the decks of four warships, Katara and the Waterbenders simply released their hold and lowered their hands.

A sudden rush of seawater and foam quickly cascaded down like a collapsing tower as the wave's crest fell apart without support. The pitiful soldiers that stood slack-jawed on the decks had no chance as the awesome forces of water and gravity swept them back into the merciless sea. The ships themselves were pushed aside like mere toys. The sheer displacement alone sent them crashing into one another.

.

~o0o~

.

"AND THEY WENT _DOWN!_" Sokka cheered.

The others cheered in unison.

But Suki dampened the moment. "Sokka! Look! There were six, but we took down four. The other two are still coming toward us! Should we fire back?"

Sokka shook his head. "No. We don't have much ammunition. We can't waste the ones we have left."

"So what do we do?"

But before Sokka could answer, the two warships, with all four ballista on each deck, began to shoot out missiles. Each launch made a scream that traveled along with the projectile as it darted for the sky. Eight shots screamed out simultaneously and were headed for the bulk of their formation.

Toph and Haru were on it.

It was hard work to try and stop the missiles with Earthbending. Luckily, combustible material is merely made up of Earth and is easily bended. The missiles exploded prematurely before they reached them. But the wind-shear was enough to blow some of the airplanes back.

And when the two Earthbenders began to tire out, they saw that more were coming.

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~o0o~

Below them, Fire Navy ships quickly began to support the other two that had been attacking. They appeared like a fast moving wall. And now, their weapons were set. The soldiers quickly set their bearings and tilted their weapons to just the right angle. A flagman raised his flag.

And when the intruders were in range, the flagman thrust his flag downward.

The missiles screamed ahead.

.

~o0o~

.

"_There's too many of them!_" shouted Toph. "We can't hold all of them back!"

And Toph was right. The two Earthbenders' reflexes were not fast enough to destroy most of the incoming attacks. Already, fireballs were breaching through their defenses. A couple of airplanes had to swing to the right just to evade most of the shots.

Sokka gritted his teeth.

"_I can help!_" came a voice.

Sokka turned around angrily and faced Aang, who had flown away to the center. "You're not supposed to be here, Aang! Get back in the center of the formation! You could get hit!"

"But I can help!"

Sokka put the bullhorn to his mouth. "_STAY BACK, AANG! WE CAN HANDLE THIS!_"

With this said, Sokka quickly turned to Zuko. "_ZUKO! WE NEED OUR DEFENSE BACK! WE NEED A SHIELD!_"

Zuko closed his eyes and breathed deeply. When this was done, he stood up and spread his hands apart. And with another concentrated exhale, Zuko began Firebending.

First, Zuko moved his hands slowly, in a wave pattern. With each exhale, the surrounding air became more fuzzy and translucent. Zuko was superheating the air. But around him, missiles were still firing. If they didn't come up with a defense before they flew over the enemy ships, they would be blasted away. Flying over them would make their fleet look like a vulnerable flock of birds at a stone-throw's distance.

"_Zuko…_" Sokka worried. "_What's taking so long…?_"

Zuko concentrated on his work. He zoned out the screaming noises of the incoming missiles and found tranquility in his inner space. He placed his palms together and exhaled. Then, his arms shot out and a rapid release of energy filled the air.

.

~o0o~

.

A huge floating wall of white fire erupted from the center of the formation and spread all around, forming a blazing white arc. The arc of white fire was large enough to protect the front of the formation. And with all due respect, the anomaly itself was glorious.

So, when the missiles collided with this wall of white fire, it blew up as if it had hit a real wall.

.

~o0o~

.

"_WATERBENDERS! USE THE RAIN TO DISABLE THE SHIPS!_"

And that's exactly how it happened. Without wasting time, Sokka immediately issued the order to attack. Katara and the other Waterbenders quickly clumped large amounts of falling rain and froze them over their enemies. The soldiers below were astounded to witness falling shards of ice slice through the storm and onto the ships' decks. Some broke upon impact while others tore away the engine and forced it to explode.

It was raining knives.

A collection of explosions rang out the sea. No one was getting in their way and no one could stand a chance. With the fire shield, the ice rain, and the airplanes with missiles, no once could stop them. They were plowing a straight line through the armada. And behind them, they would leave a trail of frozen ships and destroyed Fire Nation weapons. In short, the air fleet was winning.

But not for long.

Because, since the beginning, there had always been something terribly wrong about their plan. Sokka may have overlooked it, but it was a weakness in strategy. Yes, their main goal was to deliver Aang safely to the Southern Jongmu Air Temple. And to do that, Sokka devised the V-formation—with the two Sky Bison at the apex of the formation, the airplanes at the sides, and Aang at the middle. This would surely protect Aang and keep their offenses in the front.

But what about the rear?

Sokka had overlooked the once crucial fact that, though the formation was strong in the front, the back of the formation remained wide open.

And one man had spotted this weakness easily.

.

~o0o~

.

General Shu was still working on getting his ship out of the ice. Thawing the ship out seemed to be very slow. He theorized that by the time the ship was out of the ice, the intruders would have made it all the way to the air temple by then.

"Do you want to transfer ships, sir?" asked the first officer.

"Not yet," said General Shu. "Has anything been done on those flying intruders?"

The first officer shook his head. "We've tried but everything's failed so far. It's very hard to describe them… They can fly like war balloons, but they're terribly fast and small. They can maneuver quickly too… Whatever these things are, they remind me of flying Air Nomads…"

"So nothing so far has stopped them…"

"Nothing yet… But we can hope that the war balloons and airships take them out. They have a better chance since they're also in the air."

General Shu looked up and saw the fleet going through another line of blockade. But something struck the general at that point. From his point of view, he could see the small Airbender riding in the center of the formation with no obstructions. This was it! He found a way to stop them.

"We can hit them from the rear!" shouted the general. "Arm four ballistae. We'll take them out of the sky!"

The first officer swallowed a small amount of acrid saliva. "The third ballista is out, sir."

"_Then shoot the Airbender down with only three!_"

.

~o0o~

.

No one saw it coming.

The entire air fleet had dedicated all its attention to whatever was in front of them. Even Aang followed on this principle. So, when three screaming missiles shot out from General Shu's deck and hurtled its way to the rear of the formation, no one really had a clue. They did hear the screaming sound, but they assumed that it was coming from their front.

The first two missiles missed Aang by a few feet.

The third struck its target.

Aang gasped.

The eighth airplane in the rear of the formation had suddenly burst into splinters and flames. The two passengers—the pilot and the attacker—fell out of the sky or died instantly under the explosion of the missile. A puff of smoke billowed out after the explosion and censored the dead. In fact, since the place was made of lightweight wood and fabric, it never really stopped the missile. Those on the fleet watched as one of their comrades crashed into the stormy waters below.

Now, they were only down to seven airplanes, two Sky Bison, and one Airbender.

The destruction of that airplane was only the first.

This was the beginning of the end of the air fleet.

.

.

.

**Southern Jongmu Air Temple, South Wall**

Khai's mouth was very dry. His neck was horribly stiff. He had not moved his head for quite a while since he had been staring at the mountains and seas below. He could hear every "_kaboom_" ever made, every shriek of a missile ever fired, and every cry for help ever yelled. Sure, he had seen the horrors of war before. He had even stayed in an underground cave while being surrounded by dozens of cannibalistic Sky Bison. But Khai had never seen anything of this epic scale in his entire life.

From his vantage point, he had front row seats to the end of the world.

"Look at all of them down there," said Azula. "The whole world is practically tearing itself to pieces… We are the worst creations that have set foot on earth… No wonder we're all going to die…"

"How can you say that…?" asked Khai in horror. "People aren't just about fighting! There's 'good' in them too!"

Azula scoffed. "_Good and evil… Right and wrong…_ All relative terms. What is right can never be determined. Who are we to say that killing isn't actually wrong? It's all about perspective and background… One might say that killing is wrong, yet that very same person would kill in order to protect his or her loved one. In our darkest moments, we break apart and our 'rights' and 'wrongs' literally vanish."

"That's not true," said Khai. "There's always someone greater than all of us—someone who has lain down the rules of right and wrong a long time ago. There are good people and I believe in that."

Azula laughed bitterly. "And this 'someone' happens to be the Avatar."

Khai nodded. "Yeah."

"And aren't I the Avatar?" asked Azula with a crooked smile.

Khai scratched his head. A crestfallen expression appeared on his face. "Oh… I hadn't really thought of that…"

"See," Azula said with a winning smile—one that had fangs. "There are no 'rule-makers'. It's just us. We're all alone and all we have is ourselves. So, we make our own rules and our own definitions. And here's a thing I know for a fact… Whoever has the most power, the largest armies, and the strongest of forces makes the rules. That's how the Avatars before me made _your_ definition of right and wrong. But mine will be different… I have a different set of rules…"

Azula looked at Khai and realized that the annoying brat had not spoken at all or interrupted during any part of her speech.

"Is something wrong?" asked Azula. But this was not a caring question. This was a question to see if Khai was still sane.

"I was thinking of my family…" said Khai. His eyes and thoughts were distant. Somehow, their entire conversation had zoned out the noise all around them. "They've always told me good things… They told me not to water the plants during the night because the water would be too cold for them and they'd die. They told me not to fight with my big brother. They told me they loved me… And then, they all died… I know they were good people… I'm sure of it… Why then would mothers, fathers, and brothers care for their little son? It would be a lot better to throw them to the streets and let them grow up on their own… My family—they were good people. I'm sure of it…"

Azula stared at Khai.

Khai had tears in his eyes.

"And when they all died… I was sure I was going to follow them soon… I was very sure… But I didn't… Because people still loved me… Someone sent me a brand new mommy who took care of me and fed me and helped me grow up. I was always a nuisance to her, but she never gave up. That must be goodness, right?—from loving people… It's an amazing feeling to be loved… I take it for granted all the time. I run away from my mom when she reaches out to hug me. I'm always embarrassed when my new mom tries to pat me on the head or kiss me on the cheek. I'm sure you felt it too… Because everyone's had some kind of family… Even the Air Nomads…"

Azula clenched her fingers together. Her sharp nails bit on her palm.

Khai turned to Azula with his big, round eyes. "What was your family like?"

Azula kept her silence. She refused to answer to this noisy little brat.

"Every family has a father," said Khai. "He's the guy with the stiff face and the bad jokes. He thinks he can take care of everybody and he tries his best to. He likes to sit down or sleep a lot. He works harder than everybody else."

Azula seemed to smile at that one. But she was smiling because her father was nothing like that. "My father was different. My father was the divine ruler. He demanded respect. He punished the weak and the shameful. He was everything I wanted to be and more."

"So you do have a family!" Khai clapped.

Azula bit her tongue. She shouldn't have spoken.

"Then you must have a brother or a sister," Khai said enthusiastically. "They're usually annoying and you get into a whole lot of fights with them. But that's what makes them fun! You did say that you had a brother, right?"

"No," said Azula.

"Oh…" Khai adjusted. "I just thought I heard you say that you had—"

"_And you know what the worst part about my relationship with brother is?_" blurted Azula angrily. "_I had indirectly saved his life! I know! I shouldn't have! But if I hadn't gloated about my father's plans to end my brother—if my mother hadn't heard me say that—then my mother wouldn't have saved my brother's life! Can you believe that? I was indirectly responsible for saving my own brother's life!_"

Khai's eyes widened and his brows reached their highest point. He had never heard Azula suddenly blurt out like this. It was entirely out of her character. But in a sense, it made Khai understand her more—it made Azula more _real_.

"You should be happy," said Khai. "I would have done anything to save my brother's life…"

"No," Azula breathed. "My brother doesn't deserve to live. He was a failure… He could never match up to father's expectations. He never had the will to lead the world into war in the first place. He was a disgrace. And he was exactly like my uncle. I regret saving his life… I regret it to this very day…"

Khai sighed. "And your mother?"

"My mother thinks I'm a _monster_…"

"Maybe that's why you're so cold," said Khai. "Mothers are supposed to be loving but stubborn. They discipline you when you've eaten too much sweetcake. They hug you when you don't really want it but because you really need it."

Azula looked away.

"Hey," Khai smiled. "If you really hate your mom that bad, maybe you can share mine. My mom took me in. I bet she'd love to take you in. You can be my big sister! It'll be great!"

Azula choked. "Why would I even think about doing that?"

Khai shrugged. "I'm telling you… There are good people out there… There's good in everyone—even you."

Azula scoffed. "Goodness is relative. I am good. I know that."

Khai decided to take another approach. "Haven't you had those moments where you think twice about hurting someone? Or what about some times when feel guilty? Haven't you had those? It's called a conscience, Princess Azula. That's the little good voice in your head telling you that what you did or what you are going to do is wrong."

"I've never had those moments," said Azula. "When someone is disposable and their uselessness is gone, they're put out of place. It's efficient and it's quick."

"There's got to be some _good_ inside you…" begged Khai.

"Face it, little boy," said Azula seriously. "This is what I was born to do. This is the role I play in life. I chose it and there's nothing you can say or do to make me change my mind. I am your '_bad guy_'—that was what I was meant to do from the beginning. And when your friends—_my enemies_—climb up this mountain to challenge me, I will be there. I will not hesitate to strike them down. I will finish them once and for all. And I will be proud of my accomplishments."

Khai squatted on the ground.

His argument was lost

"_You are truly evil…_" sighed Khai.

.

.

.

**Southern Air Nomad Territory, Eastern area—heading towards the central islands**

"_AIRPLANE NUMBER SEVEN!_" called Sokka. "_WE'RE UNEVEN! MOVE BEHIND AANG AND BLOCK THE ENEMIES' LINE OF SIGHT!_"

The pilot of airplane number seven nodded at Sokka and moved his control stick right. The small, kite-like machine banked right and moved in that general direction. Pretty soon, Aang had a machine acting as a defense on his part. It was the only defense he'll have from the rear. Now, they looked like a giant flying "V" with a dot in the center and a dot behind that dot.

And then, fireballs began shooting down from above.

Sokka spoke quickly.

"_WAR BALLOONS! THEY'RE RAINING FIRE BLASTS AT US! EVERYBODY TAKE EVASIVE MANUEVERS! SUKI! HARU! YOU'RE BOTH UP! SHOOT THEM OUT OF THE SKY!_"

Suki smiled happily. "_With pleasure…_" she said and she mounted the cannon on her shoulder while placing a small explosive casing inside.

Suki and Haru aimed at two different war balloons. Once they had their targets in sight, they lit the fuse at the ends of their barrels. The spark reached the ends of their threads and a powerful rocket shot out of each of them. A trail of smoke left the barrel and the missile rushed for the heavens.

And the missiles made contact with the two war balloons, striking at the large red fabric that held the small carriage up in the air. Now, the falling carriage dropped down below.

Sokka involuntarily gave Suki a hug. "That was awesome! Shoot the others out!"

"Be careful, Sokka," said Suki as she tried to squirm free from Sokka's embrace. "I'm holding a really powerful and explosive weapon right now… I could accidentally kill you…"

Sokka backed away. "Right… Sorry about that… How many more casings do you have left?"

Suki sighed. "Both me and Haru have four more casings. That means we can only shoot down eight more war balloons. After that, there's nothing left."

"Then let's make them count," spoke Sokka.

So, as Suki and Haru saved up on their last few casings, Katara, Zuko, and the other Waterbenders attacked the war balloons by firing ice and fire. The Waterbenders froze the falling rain and forced them to pop the balloons, while Zuko precisely struck down his targets with small shots of fire.

_**BOOOM!!!**_

The explosion had not come from them, but from behind them.

The airplane that had stayed behind Aang had exploded into a fiery heap.

.

~o0o~

.

"_EVERYBODY! DOUBLE UP ON DEFENSE! I WANT TWO PLANES ON EACH SIDE OF AANG AND PLANES' FIVE AND SIX BEHIND AANG! DIAMOND SHAPE, EVERYONE! STOP EVERYTHING THAT COMES INTO AANG'S WAY! PROTECT THE AVATAR!_"

Then, Aang's voice resounded.

"_Sokka!_" he shouted. "_This isn't right! I don't want you or anybody else sacrificing their lives just so they could protect me! I want to fight!_"

Sokka got angry and spoke again into the bullhorn. "_YOU STAY RIGHT THERE, AANG! THIS ISN'T YOUR PART OF THE MISSION YET! YOU'LL NEED ALL YOUR STRENGTH WHEN YOU FACE AZULA! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT BREAKING FORMATION!_"

Aang angrily shook his head. "_Watch me!_"

But before Aang could fly out of formation, something had wrapped around his left hand and kept him in place. A thick piece of silver twine had suddenly swung itself around Aang's hand and tied him to the handlebar on his glider. The twine had been guided by of a certain weapon in particular—Sokka's boomerang.

"I'm tying you down to Appa!" shouted Sokka. "That rope will hold you in formation! You're not breaking formation until I say so!"

"You're forgetting!" shouted Aang. "I'm also a Firebender!"

But before Aang could burn through the rope, there was a sound.

_**VRAAAAAAIIIIEEEEEEK!!!**_

Aang looked down to see a lone missile coming straight for him. This one was going to hit for sure. All the surrounding variables gave it the right time and moment to hit its target. It was coming straight for Aang's heart. Nothing would shake it off its path. Nothing. Aang was dead meat.

So Aang closed his eyes and accepted his fate.

.

~o0o~

.

"_I've got this one!_" shouted the Mechanist. So slowly, the plane dipped downward, out of formation, corkscrewed, and came face to face with the missile. The Mechanist released all the controls and let the airplane fly on its own accord—becoming a guided missile of its own. The Mechanist was literally going to ram the oncoming missile head-on.

Aang watched in horror.

The young Airbender released a blood-curdling scream.

"_NOOO!!!_"

Teo and the Mechanist turned their heads to smile at Aang, giving him one last wink. Both of them said the words: _Protect the Avatar_.

And then the missiles struck them before they could turn forward.

Aang watched both the Mechanist and his son explode with smiles on their faces. They had taken the shot that was meant for Aang.

.

~o0o~

.

"_A fragment hit my engine!_" shouted one of the pilots still in formation. "_The explosion sent burning shrapnel towards my engine! The engine's stopped working! I'm falling out of the sky!_"

And so it was. After the horror of seeing the explosion, another disaster was unfolding around Aang. One of the airplanes was slowly going down. A thick trail of black smoke followed it like the plague. The plane flew into a deadly spiral as it only had seconds to go before it crashes into the water.

Aang instantly got violent.

"_No! They're not dying because of me! I've got to save them! They still have a chance!_"

But Sokka thought otherwise. "_AANG! YOU MADE A PROMISE! YOU PROMISED ME THAT YOU'LL STAY PUT NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS! DON'T BREAK THAT PROMISE, AANG! WE STILL NEED YOU!_"

Katara grabbed the bullhorn from her brother. "_DON'T MAKE THEIR DEATHS ANY WORSE THAN IT HAS TO BE, AANG! BE STRONG FOR THEM!_"

.

~o0o~

.

Aang burned the twine that tied him to Appa, directly disobeying everything they had said, and flew down to save the comrades that were falling in their airplane.

"_I hate all of you!_" he shouted back.

.

~o0o~

.

Aang almost reached the falling airplane, but suddenly, something heavy slammed into the back of Aang. The impact sent Aang flying down and he almost lost control. And even after Aang regained control, he was still having problems. The extra weight on top of him had made it hard to fly.

Zuko had jumped from Appa and landed right on top of him.

"Get back into formation, Aang!" Zuko shouted.

"No!" Aang protested. "I have to save them! That's my job!"

"Get back into formation!" Zuko ordered. "_I'll_ save them!"

And before Aang could say anything else, Zuko forced the glider to flip around so that now, Aang was on top and Zuko was on the bottom. Then, Zuko breathed deeply and released his grip on the glider.

"_Zuko!_" Aang screeched. "_No!_"

And Zuko fell.

.

~o0o~

.

Zuko grabbed hold of the airplane's wing and popped his head below the fabric so the passengers could see him.

"_Both of you grab the wing!_" he ordered.

And both the pilot and the attacker grabbed hold of the wing's wooden strut. Then, Zuko did them the pleasure by cutting off the heavy carriage and engine with Firebending. Now, as the weight dropped away, the machine was only left with the wing. Zuko had instantly turned it into a glider. This was how they were going to survive.

But something was wrong.

"_There's still too much weight!_" said the pilot. "_We're too heavy!_"

"_I understand_," said Zuko. He knew what he had to do.

And Zuko released his grip on the glider and fell again.

The two passengers glided to safety. Zuko dropped into the ocean.

And all this drama happened under the short height of 20 feet.

.

~o0o~

.

Sokka felt contented after seeing that Aang was moving back into formation. They were suffering great losses. They were down to four airplanes now. Three had been blown up and one had crashed into the sea. They had lost the Mechanist and his son. Zuko was out of commission but safe—if he survived his fall.

But they were far from over.

"_Bombs!_" shouted Haru. "_We're facing airships now and they're firing bombs at us!_"

Sokka swallowed hard. "_EVERYBODY TAKE COVER BUT DON'T BREAK AWAY FROM FORMATION! HARU, TOPH, AND KATARA—THIS IS YOUR PART! YOU THREE FLY UP THERE ON UMMI AND DESTROY THOSE AIRSHIPS!_"

Katara nodded at her brother. This was the part of the mission she dreaded. "You take care of yourself, Sokka."

"Make sure you come back," Sokka chided.

And before Katara could go and pull on Ummi's reigns, she took a small glance at Aang. The young Airbender saw her glance. They smiled at each other for a brief second. Katara would be saying no farewells, but this would be her goodbye. She might not be coming back after this. Aang knew that too.

Katara sat on Ummi's head and whipped the reigns.

"_Ummi! Yip! Yip!_"

Aang watched as Katara steered Ummi out of formation, making her rise higher and travel faster. The lone Sky Bison and its riders would meet the airships first. Four menacing airships guarded their path.

And without anymore delay, they began their attack.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

_In the midst of heated battle, it seemed things weren't turning out the way it should have. But in all war, there are casualties. Some live and some die. __In war, everything right is questioned. In war, morality and humanity are stripped to pieces and everything comes down to hard-wired instinct. People become targets. Machines become couriers. Orders become survival. Lives become meaningless._

_Explosions become commonplace._

_Death is everywhere._

_And such things will force a cry out of everyone's lips that will resonate throughout the earth. The world will buckle and fall to its knees. Depression and sorrow aggravate the land. It will be a force that will awaken the eyes and minds of people everywhere._

_And where is hope?_

_Hope has become scarce._

_But by keeping it alive, the resistance has kept their stronghold. They still hold the key to change. Because hope has a powerful force too. While death placed tears into people's eyes, hope was the one that wiped them away. While death weakens, hope strengthens._

_And throughout the planet, the world was changing._

_A great outcry of resistance was forcing the people to fight back. People are banding together, holding torches and swords—standing in the face of death and fear—defending their hopes. It's agreeable: these people were fool-hardy. They were crazy and vulnerable._

_It was clearly nothing but foolishness and stupidity._

_And isn't that the kind of passion worth dying for?_

_Isn't that the kind of passion worth fighting for?_

_Because if no one else was crying, laughing, hiding, running, falling, losing, attacking, rebelling, provoking, sulking, stumbling, wining, hoping, dying, singing, dancing, loving, hating, smiling, or suffering, then what in the world was left to be saved? What made people worthy to be saved?_

_Why hope?_

.

.

.

**Fire Nation, Grand Plaza, Royal Palace**

"_What do you mean they've stormed the palace?_" retorted Ozai. "_Who is storming the palace?_"

"We don't know, sir…" mumbled the lieutenant. "It happened so fast. Our forces couldn't push back. We've sent most of our forces to protect the princess. Everything left here are just new recruits and they couldn't handle the sudden siege."

Outside the palace walls, explosions and fires raged through the city. Fire Nation officers saying to retreat were becoming redundant. The capital was under attack! It had happened without warning. A form of resistance was taking arms outside the palace. In minutes, they would storm the gates.

"Have any of them reached the insides of the palace?" asked Ozai.

"Fortunately, not yet," said the lieutenant. "But I'm afraid the gates might not hold for long. It's best that you escape, sir."

_**CRASH!**_

Suddenly the metal doors of the throne room fell back, forced apart by the brutes on the other end. The rebels had sneaked their way in and took down the guards. There were only three that had sneaked in. One seemed to be a swordsman. He had amazingly cut the bolts to the throne room door with his blade. The second was a woman who seemed to stare at Ozai. The other was someone Ozai had recognized clearly.

"Not a coward anymore, eh?" said Ozai with a pleasant smile. "It's very good to see you, Iroh."

"Stop this foolishness now, brother!" Iroh interjected.

"There is nothing foolish about what I'm doing," Ozai growled. "And you have lost the right to call me brother years ago!"

"Where are you going with this, Ozai?" Iroh spoke. "What are you hoping to accomplish by tearing the world to pieces?"

Ozai laughed and stretched out his hands. "See? That has always been the problem with you, Iroh… You never had any vision. I am not tearing the world to pieces. I'm simply changing it for the betterment of man. And who better to do it than the man with all the power?"

"Stop this, Ozai! Stop!" yelled Iroh. "By making Azula the Avatar, you have doomed us all! There are wars going all over the world for this! Blood is being spilt where it should never happen! And the Spirit World is intervening! Large fractures of land are disappearing! The world is unraveling! The consequences are _huge!_"

"THERE IS NO SUCH THING!" Ozai deliberated. "_The world disappearing?_ Listen to yourself, Iroh! You're nothing but a babbling old man now! These things are mere rumors—_myths!_ The only thing you should be scared off is that you are in the presence of a very _dangerous_ man. I have regained me strength, brother! And it so happens that you are the very first enemy who I've come to see—_and a traitor, no less!_ I'm sorry, Iroh… You are in the wrong place and the wrong time… It seems that you and your fellow rebels will have to die…"

And Ozai's throne room ignited into flames. The flames had been breathed upon by the man himself.

The three rebels remained still.

"And so we might very well die…" said Iroh. "But before this day is through, your empire will be driven to the ground… Your men will fall… Your daughter will be broken… And you will be separated from everything…"

Ozai merely laughed. "Can you see into the future now? How ridiculous! The next thing you're going to tell me aside from the disappearing land and the future sense is that the dead has come back!"

Iroh smiled. "How true…"

The second rebel—the woman—stepped forward with dual broadswords drawn. She took a couple of steps forward, raising her broadswords in defense. Clearly, this woman had known her way around the place. She was familiar. But Ozai still could not recognize her. This may be true, but the woman recognized him.

"Hello Ozai," spoke Ursa. "What have you done to our children?"

.

.

.

**Southern Air Nomad Territory, Inner islands of the Patola mountain range**

Katara was steering her way through the storm of raining fireballs. The closer they got to the airships, the harder it got for them—and Ummi was one to complain about the situation. In these rough times, Katara would often give the Sky Bison an encouraging pat on the head. Her pats were really horrible, but it took Ummi's mind of the obvious danger that lay ahead.

"Alright," Katara called out. Her voice was often batted aside by the wind and the screaming noises of fireballs. "I want both of you to listen to me because I'm only going to say this once!"

Toph and Haru moved closer to hear.

"Sokka told me of our plan," said Katara. "Haru will fly Ummi around the airships and drop me and Toph off on any of them. I use my Waterbending to slice through their metal while Toph does her Metalbending. While we're destroying the airships onboard, Haru uses the bamboo cannon to take down the other ones. There're only four casings left so you have to make each shot count. One shot for one airship. Aim for the weak spots."

"Right," said Haru.

"Great," moaned Toph.

"And another thing," added Katara. "Should either I or Toph fall off the airships under any circumstance, Haru, you are not to make Ummi catch any of us. That'll just slow everyone down. I know it sounds rather cold, but right now, the important thing is getting Aang on top of that temple as soon as possible… So, is everyone ready to go?"

A sudden fear gripped them all. This was probably the point of no return. But nevertheless, the two Earthbenders nodded.

"Good," Katara agreed. "Haru, take the reigns. Everybody stay safe."

.

~o0o~

.

General Shu was finally able to wipe his forehead. With his ship free from the ice and news of more ships headed to the eastern area for support, the general was having high spirits. The only problem still hindering them was steering their ship through the ruins. Those Fire Navy ships that had been ripped apart by explosives still lay adrift in the sea, acting as obstacles to any ship's path.

"I've plotted the fastest route to the central islands, sir," said the helmsman. "But the debris is getting in our way."

General Shu sighed. "I'm just happy that we got out of the ice."

And then, the first officer ran to the general's side. "Sir, you won't believe it. One of our men spotted a man adrift in the sea. You'll never guess who he is. It's the old Fire Lord—_Zuko!_"

General Shu gritted his teeth. "That traitor? Very good. Bring him to me. I bet Ozai will give us a reward for bringing his son back. Have you captured him yet?"

The first officer shook his head. "We're surrounding him now. Other boats are in the water."

"I want to see him," said the general.

The first officer took General Shu to the starboard side of the deck, where below them in the water, was Zuko—trying to swim foolishly away. But his efforts were in vain because all around him, other boats were falling in. He was surrounded from all corners. But Zuko didn't stop swimming.

"If that boy thinks he can outrun a fleet of ships," said the general, "then he is sadly mistaken. Take him out of the water and hold him as prisoner."

But then, "Sir!" shouted the first officer. "_Look!_"

Zuko had finally stopped swimming around. Instead, he was moving his arms around in the water. Then, there was a brilliant flash of white that erupted from his palms. A swirling white fire balled out and blinded everyone. When the fire disappeared, so did Zuko.

Zuko had escaped entrapment.

"_It's a trick!_" shouted General Shu. "_He's hiding underwater! Nobody move out of formation until he resurfaces!_"

General Shu was indeed correct. Zuko had tricked them and used the swirling white fire to blind and misguide them. A magician knows very well how to manipulate and create an illusion. Give them something but hide the other. But Zuko was not hiding underwater as others might expect. Zuko wasn't even _in_ the water.

Zuko was above it.

And as everyone searched the cold and stormy waters for the traitorous boy, Zuko was above their heads, flying on a jet of white fire, speeding away.

.

~o0o~

.

Haru brought Ummi over one of the airships. Katara jumped off and landed on its large metal frame. "Alright! You two head on to the next one! I'll handle this!"

Toph and Haru nodded and were on their way to the next.

Katara then collected large amounts of rain by stopping it first, and then compounding it around her arms and hands. As soon as her arms looked like they were replaced by tentacles made out of water, she began to work her way around the airship and destroy it. First, she sliced a devastating tear on the airship's outer layering. Hot gas instantly bellowed out of the machine and the airship slowly fell.

Katara then froze over the airship's engine. By this point, the airship's crew had already noticed that something had gone wrong with their craft. So, they began to attack Katara. But considering that it was raining and that the airship was falling out of the sky, the crew could not think straight and were easily defeated.

Katara made her way to the front and saw the nearest airship. With some quick Waterbending she bridged the two ships together with ice. She made her way through and started slicing through the next ship's outer layers.

And so, Katara's attack started all over again.

.

~o0o~

.

"_Haru!_" shouted Toph, "_You're a terrible flier!_"

Haru forced Ummi to spin as three fireballs nearly struck them.

"Sorry!" Haru conceded. "It's hard to control Ummi when there're fireballs coming all around us. It's not exactly like riding an ostrich horse, you know."

Ummi growled.

Haru laughed in response. "It's _better_ than riding an ostrich horse."

Toph's vision was backfiring by now. The sights and the aerial maneuvers were giving her motion sickness. She had them before, but now, she could see why. The spilling of colors also gave her nausea. Sight had doubled the beauty, but it had also doubled the madness. "Get me on one of those airships, now! I might throw up on you if we don't move any faster!"

"If I move any faster, you _are_ gonna throw up!" said Haru. "Anyway, we'll have to move higher if we want to get you on the airships like we did to Katara. We're in their firing range!"

Fireballs whizzed past them as Haru maneuvered Ummi into dizzying spins, corkscrews and loops. Toph decided that this wasn't a height to fall down from. She didn't want to be roasted either.

Haru did his best at being helpful. He would pull up the bamboo cannon on his shoulder and fire another one of those casings. Three of them fatally damaged three separate airships—one hitting the engine, the other hitting the propellers, and the third breaking the metal balloon. The fourth and last casing didn't really destroy the airship, but it did strike the crew deck.

So, with Haru and Katara's help so far, the airships were getting out of the way.

.

~o0o~

.

The explosions above them were happening as if in sequence. Three of the large airships turned into orange explosions. Their plan was working. It was time to continue and pass through.

"_THEY'VE DESTROYED MOST OF THE AIRSHIPS! LET'S MOVE!_"

And so, with the air fleet down to four airplanes, one Sky Bison, and one Airbender, they pushed through. If any of them had bothered to see how far they had progressed, they would have been amazed. Where they had been at open sea at dawn, they were now at the inner islands by noon. The inner islands were a lot more compact compared to those in the outer regions of the territory. The mountains here reached for the sky. Flying in such a limited space made everything difficult.

"_EVERYBODY STICK CLOSE!_" Sokka ordered. "_THERE'S NOT MUCH PLACE TO MOVE SO BE CAREFUL! AND WATCH FOR TANKS—THEY LINE UP THE MOUNTAINS!_"

As Aang flew through the familiar mountain range of his home, he couldn't help but look at the chaos behind them. Still high above were the airships—too distracted by their own destruction to bother that their enemy had eluded them.

And Aang hoped that they would remain safe so far.

.

.

Haru dropped Toph onto one of the airships.

"_Stay safe!_" Haru called out. "_I'll be back for you!_"

Toph couldn't say anything in reply, so she waved instead. Then, she turned to her mission. She had to act fast. Some of the Firebenders had already seen them coming from below and Toph didn't doubt for a second that they were on their way up here. She needed to rip this machine to shreds.

But something was already wrong. The moment her bare feet touched the metal of the airship, she could feel its coolness. The metal was unfamiliar and dull. There was nothing she could feel in it. It was totally separate from her—something she simply could not relate to.

And her suspicions were confirmed the moment her small hands touched the cold steel. She scraped her nails on the metal but it would not fold. The alloy was dense and thick. Bending could not help her here. She had become too accustomed to visual orientation.

And as she saw a Firebender poking his head to see if anyone was tampering the metal on the roof of the airship, Toph confirmed her suspicions. She should have thought of performing this little mishap earlier—before the war. Now, she had been spotted and she could do nothing.

Toph could no longer bend metal.

.

~o0o~

.

"_MORE AIRSHIPS INCOMING! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!_"

Aang struggled to keep up. Normally, gliding was second to breathing for the young monk. But Aang had flown so far that he was beginning to feel the effects of this long flight. He had to put a conscious effort to keeping himself in the air and even more effort to dodge the falling bombs that were raining from above. It wasn't like the airplanes around him. They didn't seem to tire out yet.

"_HA!_" Sokka taunted. "_YOUR STUPID AIRSHIPS ARE SO SLOW! TRY AND CATCH US YOU STUPID METAL MACHINE!_"

Luckily, Sokka's karma was very high. This bit of taunting was easily reversed when a fireball came close enough to Sokka's head and burned out his beloved ponytail.

"_Hey!_"

Suki poked his shoulder. "Sokka… I think you made them angry…"

The small fleet moved through the meandering straights through the central islands. These straights were so small that they were more of rivers than seas. And on the surrounding mountainsides were tanks, cautiously anchored. At first, the little machines didn't seem to notice their silent entrance, but then, fireballs began to rain out. Sokka couldn't look more frightened.

"_DODGE! DODGE! DODGE!_"

The air fleet twisted and turned in synchronization. But they looked funny to their enemies. Birds, insects, and Airbenders did a much better job at turning gracefully in the air. These horrible mechanized kites made air-flying appear flat. There was no grace in their movements. But at least they moved fast enough.

Sokka quickly turned to the fleet. Another barrage of fireballs was coming in. "_IS THERE ANYONE LEFT WITH ANY MISSILES? ANYONE?_"

The pilots on the other ships shook their heads. They were out of firepower.

Sokka was at a loss.

They couldn't fight back now.

"_Sokka!_" Aang shouted from behind. "_We should turn back, now! We can do this another time!_"

Sokka appeared to have misheard Aang. "_WE PUSH THROUGH! KEEP OUR MAIN PRIORITY SAFE! PROTECT THE AVATAR!_"

.

~o0o~

.

And then, two airplanes caught fire.

"_We're hit!_" shouted one of those pilots. "_We're going down!_"

Sokka passed them a simple salute. "_Take care, gentlemen!_"

The two pilots, still in their falling planes, saluted back.

Two planes, one Sky Bison, and one Airbender were left.

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**Southern Jongmu Air Temple**

"Why do I have to be kept in this place?" asked Khai as the doors to the room closed before him. "Are you going to kill me?"

Azula shook her head and sealed the door shut. "Not yet. I'll be back for you when I'm finished."

When Azula was done sealing Khai in one of the many abandoned sleeping quarters, she began meditating as she walked—thinking of past events like the time she had consciously tricked Zuko into rescuing Mai when they were kids, the time when she performed in front of her grandfather in the throne room, the time she was abandoned by her friends at the Boiling Rock, the time her brother had bested her in the battle for the throne, the time she had first slipped into the Avatar State, and the time she had met her mother for the first time in years.

Where was she going with all of this?

Azula shook her head. She didn't want to know.

So, she went out of the temple and skipped by the south wall, taking a moment's breath. This would be the last few moments of peace she would ever have because her enemies were upon her. They were approaching quickly.

Azula looked to the sky and watched as the storm clouds disappeared. The midmorning sun was shining through at last. Everything was clear.

And as Azula squatted by the south wall, thinking of her life, she waited patiently for her enemies to approach. Azula watched the horizon and waited.

And waited.

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**Central Mountain, Base of the Southern Jongmu Air temple**

It was time to begin the climb.

"_AIRPLANES ONE AND TWO, FLY OUT OF FORMATION AND CIRCLE AROUND THE MOUNTAIN!_" Sokka ordered. There would be no point to bring the planes any higher. They were not designed to go beyond their current altitude anyway. "_MAKE SURE TO PREVENT ANYTHING ELSE THAT COMES UP THIS MOUNTAIN! AS FOR THE REST OF US, WE CLIMB! AANG, FLY CLOSE TO APPA! LET'S MOVE!_"

The air fleet was truly nothing now. The two airplanes broke away from formation and began to reconnoiter the mountain. The remaining air fleet was nothing even close to a "fleet". All that was left were Appa and Aang. Appa began to fly steeply up the steep slope of the mountain with Aang trailing the huge beast.

And the tough road to the air temple was not yet finished.

This mountain was also dotted with tanks that were anchored to the mountainside. The moment they saw them coming, they began to attack—shooting fireballs down at them.

Sokka jerked Appa's reigns. "_Whoa, boy! Let's get out of their range!_"

Appa expertly dodged each of the incoming fireballs. Aang stayed close to the bison for as long as possible. But Appa was beginning to strain. Its large plated armor was beginning to weigh heavier with each climb. A groan escaped the animal's lips. The bison was struggling.

"_Don't give up yet, Appa!_" Sokka demanded. "_Higher! Higher!_"

Appa trudged on, using its six legs and tail to propel it further up. The tanks that were in the way tried to shoot the large creature down, but failed. It looked like they were going to pass. Sokka was already looking optimistic.

"_That's good, Appa! Higher! Higher!_"

Higher.

Higher.

Appa was in severe pain. Its large body could not take carrying the heavy armor any longer. The climb was becoming too steep. The bison was already on its last ounce of strength. Appa began to close its eyes. Higher, they said. Higher. Push harder. Keep pushing.

"_Sokka!_" Suki pleaded. "_Appa's tired!_"

Sokka shrugged Suki away. "_No! You can do it, Appa! Higher! You want to save Aang, don't you? Come on! Yip! Yip!_"

And then, the worst happened.

_**GNRAAAAAA!!!**_

Appa screamed in pain. One of the tanks had his Appa squarely at the belly. Everything underneath Appa was unprotected. There was no armor protecting Appa on his belly. The fire blast struck Appa's fur and flesh, turning it into blackened crisps.

_**GNRAAAAAA!!!**_

More blasts struck Appa from underneath. These attacks were meant for Aang, but with the creature in the way, Aang was protected. But that didn't mean Aang didn't care what was happening to his bison. Appa was being burned in the air. Every strike forced the animal a bit closer to the mountainside—closer to the attacking tanks. Sokka could not pull Appa free from the mountainside.

"_Sokka!_" Aang screamed. "_What are you doing? Appa is getting burned!_"

"_He can take it!_" shouted Sokka. "_Higher, Appa! Higher!_"

Aang was exasperating. He could clearly smell Appa's charred flesh in the air. "_Appa! No! Get out of the way! You can't listen to Sokka anymore! Listen to me!_"

Sokka begged to differ. "_Keep going, Appa! This is for Aang! He doesn't know what's good for him! We have to get him to the top of the mountain to save his life! Keep going! That's it! Higher, Appa! Higher!_"

"_Sokka!_" Aang screamed. "_Stop this! Stop this now!_"

Sokka looked up to Aang. "Don't worry, Aang… We'll get you there… We'll make sure of that… Even Appa will get you there safely…"

Appa groaned. _**GNRAAAAAA!!!**_

Aang didn't know if Sokka had gone completely mad, but he seemed like it. His friend seemed so caught up in getting him to the top that he was sacrificing everything and everyone just to get him there. But no one would listen to him. No one would care. Even Appa agreed with Sokka. He could he live with this.

_**GNRAAAAAA!!!**_

A fireball had struck Appa again and this time, Appa fell.

The large Sky Bison crashed hard onto a clearing in the mountainside. The mountainside wasn't as steep and so, Appa, Sokka, and Suki did not fall. The crash caused a large cloud of smoke to appear at the side of the mountain. Nearby tanks began to celebrate at the defeat of the bison. From Aang's view from above, he could see that Sokka and Suki were unconscious on the mountainside. Appa was groaning as it lay in pain.

The air fleet was gone.

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~o0o~

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But they weren't defeated yet.

Looking up, Aang could see that they only had a few more feet to go before he reached the top of the mountain—the Southern Air Temple. All he had to do was bypass the rest of the tanks that were anchored to the side of the mountain and land safely at the grounds of his former home.

And then he would face Azula.

And everything would be over.

But as Aang looked at the unconscious bodies of Sokka and Suki, he knew what he had to do. He made his decision. After one last look of the top of the mountain, Aang tilted his glider down and flew to the side of the mountain—where Appa had crashed.

After all they had gone through, After all the lives that were injured and lost to get Aang this far, and with only a few hundred feet left to climb before reaching the goal, Aang was turning away to help his friends.

Aang was abandoning his mission.

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**Fire Nation, Grand Plaza, Royal Palace**

The color was lost from Ozai's face.

"_You're alive…_" Ozai said, sounding very disappointed. "_You're alive after all…_"

Ursa held her broadswords steady. "Don't be disappointed. I would not have shown myself today had I not witnessed what had happened to our family—what had happened to our daughter…"

Ozai smiled with pride. "So you have seen Azula… She was brilliant wasn't she? She was everything her father, her grandfather, and her great-grandfather ever wanted her to be. I take full responsibility for her upbringing."

"Indeed you do," hissed Ursa as she pointed on of her broadswords to Ozai. "What have you done to our children? You burned your only son. And you have turned our daughter into a…_into a… into a monster…_"

"Like you would even _care_!" Ozai bellowed. "She's the perfect child—something Zuko could never amount to. But you could _never_ understand. You have _always_ hindered our daughter. You scolded her when she was doing the right thing. If there's anyone to blame for Azula's impurities, it is _you!_"

There was a pause.

"_I was wrong…_" Ursa whispered. "There is nothing wrong with our children… It is you who has broken our family—_you!_"

Ozai began to laugh.

"_Me?_" he asked, as if the accusation was preposterous. "You blame me for the fall of our family? If I remember correctly, it was you who chose to commit treason—you who accepted banishment! You separated from our family! What kind of mother would leave her children at such young ages? _You_ are responsible for them!"

Ursa lowered her broadsword. "_No! You started this! You planned to kill Zuko in order to grab the throne—_!"

"As is my right," said Ozai. "And if Zuko was strong enough, he would have accepted his face—_and so should you…_"

"I did not and will not stand to such prejudice!" Ursa screeched. "I committed such treason not for _your_ benefit—but for the children! And how have you cared for them? You burned Zuko and Azula is nothing more than a cold mental soul. And where was their father? Their father was Fire Lord. And therefore, their father was gone. I am here to end this prejudice. I am here to take back _my_ family!"

Ozai laughed. "And you will kill me? Is that how you will do things?"

Ursa did not respond verbally, but instead, she threw one of her broadswords. Ozai had been expecting a surprise attack so he had already planned to twist left. But the speed was incredibly blinding. Ozai was able to dodge the sword, but not completely.

The sword had sliced through the air and through Ozai's long beard—severing it—before striking the chair that was once the throne.

Ozai turned back to his beloved wife with orange fireballs burning at his fingertips. Iroh and the swordsman—Piandao—surrounded the Fire Lady and were acting on her behalf.

"_To the death!_" Ozai screeched.

"_TO THE DEATH!_" came the same reply from the three rebels.

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**Southern Air Nomad Territory, Southern Air temple mountainside**

"_What are you doing?_" Sokka shouted. "_Get up there, Aang! Get up there now!_"

"No!" Aang shouted back. "I'm not leaving you guys! It's my fault you guys had to suffer like this! I can't leave you, Suki, and Appa behind just because I have to save the world!"

Sokka sat up and punched Aang on the chest.

Aang fell backwards, nearly knocking onto Suki's body as she lay still in her Kyoshi uniform. Aang had bandaged them well. Sokka was the first person he had woken up. Appa was doing fine. But they were not safe. The tanks were still shooting at them. It was only a matter of time before they lowered themselves to get in range. And now, everything had worsened because Sokka had punched Aang on the chest.

Aang's breath was ragged as he clutched his chest in pain. He glared at Sokka with his piercing grey eyes.

"The only important thing we all know is that we have to protect you, Aang. That was our mission, our reason, and our only objective. Getting you up there safely without using much of your energy was more important than any of our individual lives… By stopping to help us, you have endangered our mission—you have placed everyone in jeopardy."

"I saved your life!" Aang shouted. "I saved your life and you're telling me that it was a mistake! I am not as cold as you, Sokka! This is what friends do for friends! I can't let you or anyone suffer like this!"

"Well guess what, Aang?" Sokka chided. "You _can_. Because we don't matter. _You_ matter. Haven't you heard what I've been screaming for hours? _Protect the Avatar_. That's you, Aang—the Avatar—the world's only hope. We'd _die_ for you, Aang. We'd rather die for you than fail you. So you get back up there and you finish this with Azula! You finish this now!"

Aang was rebellious. "_NO!_"

Suddenly, there was an explosion—or more precisely, a fire blast. One of the tanks had come in range.

Suki was already conscious. "_The tanks are coming up! They're surrounding us!_"

Already, the group could hear the harpoons from each tanks being fired. Their hooks anchored them higher on the slope. Then, these machines began using their wheels to climb up the slope. Their gears and shifts echoed through the mountains. These machines of death rose out of the mist and came into view. Within seconds, they would reach them. Within seconds, they would be burned alive.

Sokka gave Aang another hard shove. "Get up there, now!"

"I'm not going to leave you here!" Aang shot back.

Suki watched the tanks draw ever closer. "Uh… Guys… This isn't the time to argue…"

Sokka stood up and pulled his black sword from its sheath. "You'll get up there now or I'll make you go up!"

Aang was afraid. "You _wouldn't_…"

Suki was trembling. "_Guys…_"

"Get your glider," instructed Sokka. "You open those blue wings. You get up there. You leave us here to finish this part of our mission. You do that and I won't have to _make_ you! Are you listening to me, Aang? You get up there and finish this!"

Aang was at a loss for words.

Then, Suki screamed bloody murder.

"_**FIREBALL!!!**_"

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~o0o~

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Sokka was quick to respond.

"_Suki! Shield!_"

Suki came up before them, standing as their defense. Aang was horrified. He thought Sokka had ordered Suki to act as their defense in the expense of her life—but in actuality, Sokka had ordered Suki to pull up her collapsible shield to protect them. A large gold-plated metal circle articulated around Suki's arm. When the fireball struck them, Suki's gold shield stopped the attack.

And Sokka thrust his space sword into the air.

Sokka charged forward with a manic battle cry that took the oncoming tanks by surprise. The young warrior, dressed in customary Water Tribe armor, slid down the mountainside and on top of one of the tanks. With one force, Sokka drove his sword into the tank's turret and sliced it open. The soldiers inside trembled in place and could not move.

Finally, Sokka jumped back and stuck the tank's chain. It was severed and without anymore attachment to the mountainside, the tank fell. It fell and it struck the tanks that were behind it, turning into one tank-snowball buildup.

"_Sokka!_" Suki yelled. "_To your right!_"

Another tank attacked Sokka with fireballs. Sokka didn't seem to move out of the way.

But Suki jumped out from above and landed in his way, drawing up her shield. The fireball struck them, but they were protected. Sokka and Suki—the sword and the shield. They were fighting in perfect harmony.

"_Suki!_" Sokka shouted. "_Shield!_"

Another fireball came towards them. Suki came in the way once again and shielded. Then, after the attack came Sokka's counter-attack. He sliced through the tank's chain and it too fell off the mountainside.

But there was too many of them.

There was always too many of them.

In seconds, Sokka and Suki were overwhelmed. Suki would block. Sokka would attack. Suki would block. Sokka would attack. But the fireballs were growing in number.

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~o0o~

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But Aang landed in front of them this time.

"_Stay close to me!_" he ordered.

And Aang struck the mountainside with the curl of his fists. First, there was a tremendous earthquake that shook the side of the mountain. And then, large chunks of land began to pop off. Tanks that were still pinned to the mountain were shaken off by a small landslide that appeared out of nowhere. It didn't stop all of them, but the attack had shaken them to their roots.

Aang cupped his hands over his mouth and began blowing air. The falling tanks were pushed even faster by Aang's breath—disappearing down the mist with each puff of Aang's breath.

And Aang stopped.

He turned to Sokka with a smile. "I guess I save your life again. Now, you owe me—"

Sokka punched Aang in the gut this time.

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~o0o~

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"_We didn't need your help, Aang!_" Sokka screamed. "_And now, you just wasted a large portion of your energy just to save our lives! If you think you're so great, then you're more stupid than I thought!_"

Aang was clinging to the mountainside, crying in pain.

Sokka kneeled in front of Aang, making sure he saw him eye to eye. "Listen to what I'm saying, Aang… We didn't come all this way just to turn back at the last hundred feet… Now, I'm not saying that what you did for us with the Earthbending wasn't helpful at all… I'm very grateful for your generosity, Aang… But you can't risk your strength at the expense of our lives… You've got a greater battle ahead of you and for that, you'll need all the strength you can get…"

Aang was gritting through his tears. His left hand clutched his stomach. "_B-But you're my friends…_"

Sokka placed a kind hand at Aang's shoulder. "Yes… We are… And we're doing exactly what friends do… We're helping you… We're protecting you… Isn't that too hard to accept?"

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~o0o~

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Katara had run out of water to bend.

She as at the tapered edge of one of the airships, dangling a few feet away from a deadly drop, surrounded by four Imperial Firebenders that were ready to strike and Katara didn't have any water to bend.

"Are you going to kill me?" she asked plainly. It was better to know than be surprised. "Are you going to kill me?"

The Firebenders did nothing but raise their fists at her. This was their way of saying: _Obviously_.

Katara had only three options but the first two led to death. The first option was to jump back and fall from the edge of the airship and dive down the air, peacefully before her delicate frame struck the cold water below. Option two was to wait until the Firebenders decide to turn her into a human inferno, where death would be extremely excruciating and unpleasant.

Or, Katara could go for option three.

Option three was to distract these Firebenders and make it through this small space between two of them. Of course, this option also held death because the Firebenders would be five steps ahead of her. But if she could do it, then maybe she had a chance of escaping.

It was now or never.

Katara placed her hand on the plug of her water satchel. She then adopted the Waterbending stance.

The Imperial Firebenders stepped back. They were frightened at the possibility that this girl might Waterbend at them.

Katara jackknifed her hand.

"_HI-YA!_"

It was a bluff. Katara had no water. But the Firebender did not know that. Instead, they jumped back as if hit by an imagined force. Katara saw her opening and decided to take it. It was now or never.

Katara made her run.

But then, one of the Firebenders grabbed her.

Katara struggled free, but she was captured.

There was no escape for her.

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~o0o~

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"_B-But you're all getting hurt!_" Aang reasoned through his tears.

"That is sacrifice," said Sokka. "The only way we could place yourself _out_ of harm's way, we have to place ourselves _into_ harms way. It is a sacrifice we are all willing to pay. And in sacrifice there is suffering. And in suffering, there is pain. But pain is temporary. We are willing to feel pain—no matter how horrible or extreme it may be.

"All to keep you safe."

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~o0o~

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"_Stay back!_" Toph shouted. "_Stay back or I'll hurt you!_"

The Imperial Firebender didn't seem threatened. Toph had been crying out for help but no one was listening. Now, she was left alone, on top of an airship, facing off a single Imperial Firebender with no bending or no shield to help her.

The Firebender lifted his fist at Toph, aiming for her face.

Toph desperately gripped at the metal beneath her, but again, it would not budge. With this loss, Toph scampered backwards, but the Firebender easily caught up to her.

"_Have mercy!_" Toph cried. "_Have mercy!_"

For the first time, Toph looked like a crying 12-year old.

But there would be no mercy or innocence.

The Firebender took aim and fired.

Toph found it ironic and sad that she could see her death coming. When she was blind, death bothered her, but not as much because she could not see it coming in a very visual manner. But now, she could see the colors of the fireball headed towards her. She could see the color of the Firebenders clothing, as if it had been built specifically to intimidate her.

Toph placed her hand before her face. She didn't like to be struck at the face like before.

When the fire struck her hand, the heat was overwhelming. The flat palm of her hand instantly burned and blackened.

When Toph started to scream, she though it would never end.

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~o0o~

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"This is what we live for," said Sokka. "This is why we fight. We fight for _you_."

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~o0o~

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Zuko was losing control of his flying. The energy he had used up just to stay in the air for a few minutes was depleting. The white flames at the end of his feet began to sputter and die.

And then, Zuko crashed.

He crashed, not in the sea, but on land—hurtling through one of the island's sandy beaches like a pinwheel.

When the dust had cleared and Zuko had stopped tumbling, he was there, lying on the ground with his face buried in the sand. He was alive, but in the seconds to come, he would wish he weren't. He began to cry and moan in pain. His eyes were burning from the salt of the sea. His heart was beating rapidly and painfully.

Zuko turned around and clutched his chest.

"_So painful…_" he muttered. "_So painful…_"

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~o0o~

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"_Sokka!_" Suki cried. "_They're coming again!_" More tanks were climbing up the mountain, taking place of the ones that had fell off.

Sokka nodded at her and turned back to Aang. He helped him up and handed him his glider.

"You changed a lot of things for me," said Sokka. "The moment you came out of that iceberg, I knew without a doubt that you'd cause all sorts of trouble."

Sokka laughed slightly.

"But more importantly, the world had changed that day. You changed all of us. You gave Katara's strength. You gave Toph's vision in more ways than one. You gave Zuko's freedom. You gave me renewed purpose… And you… You were the giver… So you've done more than enough for us, Aang… You've done more than we could ever sacrifice. So it's time we took care of things for you…"

Aang smiled and wiped his eye.

Sokka shook Aang's hand. "I believe you now know what to do…"

Aang nodded and shook Sokka's hand in return. "Thank you, Sokka…"

Sokka shook his head. "No. Thank _you_, Aang. It's been a privilege serving you—and being your friend. Thank you for all those adventures and for all the things we've gone through in the past. Thank you for saving my life for countless times. Thank you for all the jokes I've done to you and for all the mischief we've had. And thank you for saving the world once—and again. The privilege is all mine.

"So you do me one favor, Aang—_one favor_. When you get up there…when you face Azula… You tell her that we sent you… You do a little dance with her and you show her what the Avatar can do. You got that?"

Aang smiled. "Yeah…"

Sokka patted him on the back. "So go! Go! Before I punch you in the gut again!"

Aang laughed and launched himself into the sky, snapping open his beautiful glider wings.

Below him, Sokka and Suki waved at him while shouting: "_Protect the Avatar_."

Aang disappeared in the clouds above.

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~o0o~

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Sokka and Suki banded together.

The tanks were surrounding them again. This time, there was no escape. Sokka and Suki were on their own with only a sword and a shield as their protection. Before they did anything, the two kissed. Their lips brushed together and the two looked into each others eyes. Then, they hugged like they were prepared to die—because they were.

Sokka and Suki raised their weapons into the air.

"_PROTECT THE AVATAR!_"

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**Southern Jongmu Air Temple**

Azula had not moved from her squatting position. She was staring at the sunset—waiting for her enemies to approach. She could no longer hear explosions or screams. Things were unusually quiet.

And then, a boy had risen from the rim of the mountain, twirling his staff over his head like a baton. He flew up and then landed his feet on the temple grounds.

Azula stood up after a deep breath.

The two stared at each other—ready to duel each other for the last time.

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	24. The Avatar: Air

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Book 4

_Air_

Chapter twenty-four:

The Avatar: _Air_

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In the end.

There will be no wars, no deaths, no conspiracies or plots.

The sun will stop rising and the moon will wink out its light.

There will no longer be stars in the end and neither will there be a place called the earth.

In the end, it is just people and final wishes—wishes of hopes and dreams.

Roads will be shorter as destinations come closer.

And many will be gone.

In the end, it will be very quiet.

But no one reaches the end. No one ever reaches the end.

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~o0o~

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As the battle of all battles approaches, the people will step out of the way to form a wide and twisting path. At the end of that path are a choice and a struggle. Many will walk this path. Many will stop anyone from crossing it. Many will suffer and many will die.

The path had been walked upon for a hundred years.

But once the end of the path is reached, the two opposing sides will come face to face. A haunting silence prepares the way.

The greatest struggle in the history of man is about to begin.

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~o0o~

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_The silence before battle is… unbearable…_

_Such a quiet place…_

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~o0o~

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The boy landed softly, facing his enemy. He had come a long way just to get here. The road that had taken him here was a long and difficult one.

In the beginning, the boy did not know of the road. He had no need to cross it. There was no need to go on a journey if one had everything they needed and indeed, the boy had all he needed and more. He was sheltered with friends and family. He was given a home. He didn't mind where he was.

But then, he was introduced to the road.

People would tell him of a road—one that was filled with all sorts of twists and turns. It was a road that would last as long as his entire lifetime. There were all sorts of things that would hinder anyone that would cross it. The boy would have to cross this haunting road whether he wanted to or not.

Needless to say, the boy feared the road.

He tried to run away from it, deciding to cross a different path without realizing that the path had led him back to the road. No matter how hard he tried to swerve away from the road, he would always go back to it. So, the day came when he decided that it would be best to cross it.

As soon as he walked along the road, the forces that were pledged to stop him started to act. Many times, the boy would find dead bodies lying on the road—bodies of his friends and family. Other times, the road became treacherous and deadly. The road would meander at times and the boy was always blind to what lay behind the next bend. There were also times when the road would be blocked by something or someone.

But the road wasn't always so frightening.

The boy would often encounter strangers who would cross the road and accompany him on his journeys. He would make friends and allies. Then, there were times when the road was straight and true. The boy would not find those days difficult.

And now, the boy was here. The road was being blocked and he needed to face this person. The sacrifices that had been made to get him here were many. Many died to keep him walking on this road. It was a horrible sight. The road was paved with the blood of the innocent.

But the boy did not walk on this road alone.

And as the boy faced his greatest opponent yet, he thought of the people that have helped him along his life. And looking back, it became known to the boy that the road itself was not some sort of test. The road was his life with all its ups and downs—it's high and low points. And he was not weak at this point in the road. Behind him were the strengths ands wisdoms of a hundred and more people that have given their lives to place him here.

Now, the road had gone full circle.

So, when the boy landed back at his old home—the place where the road began—he was not as weak as he previously thought.

On the contrary, the boy was stronger than he could possibly imagine.

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~o0o~

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_Aang, you have a difficult task ahead… The world has changed in the hundred years you've been gone… It's the Avatar's duty to restore balance to the world by defeating Fire Lord Ozai… You have much to learn… You must master the four elements and confront the Fire Lord…_

_And when you do, I hope you will think like a mad genius…_

_._

_._

_And it looks like you're in good hands… You'll need your friends to help you defeat the Fire Nation… And Momo too…_

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**Southern Jongmu Air Temple**

There were no words yet. There wasn't any exchange of banter. Neither of the two forced any decisions upon each other. Insults were never said. Mercy didn't seem to show. Only tension and position were the languages used against each other.

High above them, Zhao watched with content as the little boy jumped from below the rim of the mountain and entered the arena. He had seen how far the boy had progressed and the things and people he had left behind. He spied on him, of course. He spied on the girl too. Zhao had undermined every possible weakness, created every possible strategy, and sought out every available shortcut in case something wrong would happen this day.

This was the final piece in Zhao's plans.

And as the physical spirit stared down at the arena below him—at the two opponents ready to do battle, he couldn't help but smirk at them. Despite all their thinking and perceptions of this day, the two didn't know what was _really_ going to happen. The girl may think she is in control, that she is the one calling all the shots, but in reality, Zhao just let her. That was his plan all along. And the boy had never been warned of anything.

Both the boy and the girl were just pawns to his scheme.

Zhao had it all planned out. Everything. In reality he cared very little of who would win between the two. It didn't really matter. By the time of dawn, tomorrow morning, he would be assured of two things.

First, Zhao would have power beyond all imagining.

Second, someone was going to lose his or her soul.

And guess what.

Both of these things were _absolutely_ going to happen.

.

~o0o~

.

Aang faced her squarely and without fear. He aimed the blunt of his staff at Azula and said, "I'm through fighting with you. I'm through watching every Air temple being destroyed before my very eyes. And I want Khai back. I will use every force necessary to stop you. So stop this right now. Stop this before you regret this."

Azula was not threatened. "You're asking too much. I can understand that you want Khai back, but to ask me to stop fighting you now—I cannot do that. This battle has to happen. There's no other way out, Airbender."

"_No, Azula! No!_" Aang voiced. "_You stop this, now! Just because we are enemies doesn't mean we have to fight against one another. You can end this without battle. No one has to get hurt!_"

"Enough!" Azula shouted. "You're not calling the shots, Airbender. I have the boy and I have the Avatar Spirit. You have nothing to show for your part. And since I am calling all the shots, I say we end this the only way it should end."

Aang shook his head. "I'm warning you, Azula! Somebody will get hurt!"

Azula laughed. "How strange? You sound like you could actually touch me! You've convinced yourself that you might have a chance to win despite the fact that you can _only_ bend air. Maybe you're thinking that just because you're an Airbender, you have a shot. But no. _You're not the only one who has mastered Airbending anymore…_"

.

~o0o~

.

Suddenly, Azula held her breath for a short second. The air in lungs collected itself. Then, Azula rapidly swirled her hands around. At the final moment, she cupped her hands around her mouth and released all the air pressure inside.

The blast of rushing air exploded out of Azula's mouth.

It was heading straight for Aang.

Azula stepped back and smiled.

.

~o0o~

.

_Do it! Do it now!_

_Earthbend, Twinkletoes… You just faced off a crazy beast—and even more impressive, you've stood your ground against me…_

_._

_You've got stuff_

.

~o0o~

.

Aang raised a large earth wall in front of him. When the air struck it, it ripped large portions of the wall apart. But the wall did the trick. Aang was safe behind the wall and the air swept by him.

When Aang stepped to the side and saw the look of surprise on Azula's face, he couldn't help but smile.

.

~o0o~

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The battle had begun.

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**Southern Air Nomad Territory, Central Islands**

"_Hold her steady!_"

The animal was still struggling to break free.

Even though there were four of them, they could not hold her down. She kept struggling and she did so, violently. Many times, one of the soldiers would have to burn her to get her attention, but even fire didn't seem to scare her. She was unlikely to be scared at all. Her eyes were wild. Her sharp claws scratched on the metal armors of the soldiers. Foam started to spill from her mouth. She even started breathing like a wild animal.

"_Stop moving or we'll kill you!_" shouted one of the soldiers.

But she would not listen. The girl had gone delirious and psychotic. Her will to live was strong. She would scream endlessly. Her screeches were animal-like. Her hair was flying around like crazy. The soldiers were having difficulty controlling her.

"_Corporal! Cover her mouth and shut her up!_"

One of the soldiers instantly placed a hand over her manic mouth. The animal struggled still. But she knew that there was little time left to do anything. In fact, she already knew that these soldiers, as soon as they were done keeping her still, they would kill her. This gave her all the more reason to fight back.

But the soldiers were brutal.

The head soldier, the one that had been burning her, realized that fire was much too slow if he wanted this girl to stop struggling. A couple of punches could deal more pain in seconds than a fire could deal in twice that time. So, in the end, the soldier decided to beat her senseless until she would give up.

For the girl, it had been a different experience. When the soldier started punching, she felt—not the finger bones of the man's fist—but rather, the sharp and jutted knuckles. Each punch pressed on her skin and made contact with the hard bone beneath it. The girl stood no chance as these brutal men hit her every time. Already, purplish marks began to show on her skin. The girl was beginning to bruise.

"_Harder!_" said one soldier.

"_Harder!_" agreed the other.

The first soldier smiled and began to punch her harder. This time, the little girl began to bleed. Scarlet droplets began to splatter everywhere. They would fly off from her lips as quickly as sweat. Her hair began to fling around. More bruising appeared.

But all this time, the girl had not given up. In fact, the soldiers were frustrated that she had not stopped struggling. Her will to live was so strong. Every second longer, she would become more animal-like. Her screams were barely muffled by one of the soldier's hand. But that didn't mean they weren't doing any damage. Already, the girl was slowing down. She was weakening right before their very eyes.

Either the little girl would give up or she would lose a lot of blood and she would die.

A punch.

A cry.

A punch.

Some blood.

The little girl was beginning to grow desperate. She was raving already. With no water and no other means of fighting, she was forced to make drastic measures. Her animal ferocity was one of the results. Now, she was driven mad—almost over the edge. So, despite her struggle and the fact that these men had held her down, she still had one last thing to do.

.

~o0o~

.

_Did you know that you can pull water out of thin air…?_

.

~o0o~

.

Though the girl's hands may have been held down, her fingers were not. Then, they began to wriggle like worms. If the soldiers had been watching this miniscule maneuver, they would have noticed water suddenly forming over it. The water then started to coat this finger and solidified into a long and sharp icicle.

Quickly, the girl pricked her sharp ice-finger on one of the soldiers that were holding her hands down.

"_Hey!_" shouted the pricked soldier.

In that second, the soldier's reaction forced him to loosen his grip on an already wild animal. The hand that covered her mouth slipped a little and that gave the girl enough time and space to do the next thing.

The girl opened her mouth and sank her teeth into the soldier's hand.

Oh, the soldier did scream.

"_**AAAAAAAAAA!!!**_"

The girl sensed the further loosening of grip. She moved back and forced the soldier to fall to his side. She thrust her elbow onto the man's ribs and the soldier howled in agony.

"_Grab her back!_" barked the first soldier. "_Quickly! Before she frees herself!_"

The girl was still held back by another soldier. But before the soldier knew it, the girl had pulled off his war helmet and a sharp object was scraping his cheek. The girl had pulled out some sort of weapon from her pocket. _A funny-looking comb_. The girl used the comb like rake and brushed it violently on the second soldier's face. Already, lines of red began to show through his skin. This man also cried out.

By now, the girl was free.

There were still two more soldiers left. One was still far off and the other was the one who had been punching and burning her. She decided to attack the nearest one. She heaved herself forward and cried out as she sent herself tumbling towards the soldier.

Then, she gave him a well-placed head-butt.

The soldier collapsed on the ground at the sudden pain. His knees buckled and his stomach lurched. The girl had caught herself and stood up so she didn't fall down like the man.

One man left.

The fourth soldier was already running away. He was frightened of this animal. But the animal would not release her prey. So, the girl began drawing more and more water out of thin air. She coated her fingers in the liquid and froze them solid. She then flung her hands out, releasing the sharp ice on her fingers. The fourth soldier had no time at all for escape. The ice pinned him to the metal bulk of the airship.

Quickly, the girl pinned all four soldiers in place with ice drawn from the air.

And finally, when all Katara's work was done, she collapsed on top of the airship, unconscious. She wasn't looking too good now. Even if she had taken down four soldiers, there were still more below. It would only take a matter of seconds before the crewmen below would realize that the four soldiers hadn't come down yet. Katara's body would be spotted and she would be killed then and there.

But she could do nothing now. She just lay there, exhausted, bruised and sore.

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.

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**Southern Jongmu Air Temple**

Even from afar, you could tell the world was shaking.

Landslides appearing out of nowhere. Giant firestorms raging from the top of the mountain. Huge waves created from the snow that clung to the mountainside. And tornadoes. Dozens and dozens of swirling tornadoes. All of which appeared on the very grounds of the southern air temple. Flashing lights and enormous explosions reverberated throughout the archipelago. People who had seen the disturbance would turn around and watch.

A great battle was unfolding before their very eyes.

The clash of forces met head on. One came after the other with a streaming torrent of blue flame that incinerated the surroundings and broke away the temple walls.

The other had melted the snow and ice and had gathered it all into a huge, towering wave. With much dexterity and control, the other manipulated the water into a violent, twisting surge that met the flame precisely and snuffed it out. The remains of the water steamed onto the dusty grounds and foamed.

Azula charged into the sky, rocketing on a plume of hot blue fire, twisting and then punching. The surrounding air burst into flames and charged forward. A screaming fireball hurtled down towards the target below.

Aang whipped more snow to his feet and coiled them around his body, manifesting another surging wake of water that crashed onto the fire.

But the water turned into steam and the fire kept on coming.

Aang had just enough time to bend air beneath him to catapult him away. When Aang landed, he could already see that Azula was up for another attack. And to deal with her fire, Aang must neutralize it with water. But water wasn't very abundant at the top of the mountain. He would need more than 'just' water to get him out of this situation.

And the blue fireball kept coming again.

.

~o0o~

.

_You're moving the water around, but you're not feeling the push and pull…_

.

~o0o~

.

Aang jumped into the air and brought along with him two whips of water. As soon as the fireball swept past him and he was in the clear, Aang attacked again. This time, Aang swayed the water around him into a dizzying display of Waterbending. And then, just when Azula thought Aang was going to shoot some water at her, Aang did something completely different.

Aang just flung the water at Azula.

It didn't even get very far. It just landed on the ground around Azula's feet and turned into a puddle.

"_What?_" Azula sneered. "_Tired already?_"

Aang gathered more water around his arms and turned back to Azula.

Aang came forward and said, "_What? Stupid already?_"

Azula's feet were frozen in the puddle.

And as Azula took the time to Waterbend the water off her feet, Aang took the opportunity to whip her around. He caught her in his grip and pulled her away, slamming her body onto the tiles on one of the temple towers. He pulled her and pushed her, forcing her to commit.

Azula was able to recover by Firebending.

And the battle resumed again.

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**Southern Air Nomad Territory, Central Islands**

The pain was unforgiving.

Zuko's aching muscles burned of exhaustion and he was already lapsing into unconsciousness. And his isolation in this place which was more frightening than the pain.

How far had he gone? Zuko couldn't remember. He did remember that he was the first one to fall from the group. And now, he was the furthest away from the temple. He was the furthest away from anybody and if he wanted to catch up with them, he had better start walking. But Zuko couldn't even get up from the ground—much less, walk.

Zuko turned to the side and felt another stab of pain.

He reached out for his side and felt something wet underneath his clothing. With all his strength, Zuko ripped the cloth from his shirt open and looked into it. There was something protruding from his flesh. A huge sharp rock was embedded in his skin and it was in very deeply. The rock that was in his skin was not even sharp. It was blunt and had only managed to pierce his skin because Zuko had crashed onto the ground.

Zuko reached out and held the rock in his hands.

And Zuko started to tug.

Another charge of white-hot pain rocketed into his body. Zuko screamed in agony. This small tug had forced a fresh new batch of blood to spill out of his system. Already Zuko was beginning to feel the first signs of lack of blood. He felt terribly weaker. Death would be the end result.

And Zuko grabbed the rock again and pulled it—finally ripping it off his flesh.

"_**AAAAAAAAA!!!**_"

The pain was enormous. Zuko fell into a spasm and rolled over on the ground. In his vision, he could see nothing but white. The whiteness was consuming him from the outside.

"_Somebody stop the pain…_" Zuko cried. "_Stop everything…_"

In his head, Zuko saw the _worst_ parts of his life flash before his eyes. He recalled the years he spent hunting the Avatar, the times when he had let his uncle down, the moments he wished he had never entered that council meeting and interrupted that general's plan, the hours of his life spent thinking about his father and how he wished he had loved him, and the times he regretted leaving and betraying his uncle.

Because Zuko, for the most part of his life, was a young man who had hated himself. He was a person who loathed his very core—and this painful moment of his life amplified every emotion in him.

.

~o0o~

.

_You are not the man you used to be__, Zuko…_

_You are stronger and wiser and free-er than you have ever been…_

.

~o0o~

.

Zuko grit his teeth and banged his head onto the rocky ground. This action made more blood rush out, but this time, out of his forehead. A great despair was falling over the boy. His mind, his body, and his soul were ready to give up. He was so ready to accept death. And death was waiting for him in that sea of pain and whiteness—welcoming him with open arms.

.

~o0o~

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_Zuko! No!_

_._

_You must never give into despair! Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to you lowest instincts… In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself…_

_._

_That is the meaning of inner strength…_

.

~o0o~

.

Zuko pulled himself up, mentally removing himself from unconsciousness. He grabbed his wounded side and began to stand. He was still feeling tremendous amounts of pain, but he mentally conditioned himself to let it pass. With great effort, Zuko pulled himself to stand. He fell down once or twice before mastering balance.

Ever since the end of the war, Zuko had rapidly changed personalities.

He no longer loathed himself.

He became much more patient and understanding.

He learned how to enjoy life and he had forgiven himself of all his past mistakes.

Zuko was strong enough to break himself out of despair.

And then, Zuko decided to journey forward.

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Toph didn't want to give it all up. She didn't want to die so soon. She didn't want to lose all that she had come through just because of death. It was so unfair for her. During the last few days of her life, she finally gained the ability to see and now, a Firebender—ready to kill her—was going to remove all that in the blink of an eye.

_The world is so unfair…_ Toph cried. _I have everything now… I have my family back again… I have my friends… I can even see… But why do they have to be taken away from me so quickly…? Why does everything have to disappear when I have everything now…?_

The Firebender stepped forward and sent another charge of heat.

Toph shut her eyes and turned her head away from the searing blast. This time, her second hand blocked its path and another scalding wave of heat tore her flesh away. Toph no longer had the energy to scream. Can anybody imagine that? A person too exhausted to feel pain. She no longer had the energy to stand either. So, Toph collapsed on top of the bulk of the warship, the cold metal sliding underneath her.

"_Please…_" Toph begged. Tears spilled out her eyes and she began to sob heavily. "_Have mercy… I-I don't want to die…_"

But the soldier wasn't listening. He moved forward, ready to take another shot at her—and this time, Toph had nothing left to block it with. Both her hands were bloody and burned.

Her family

Her friends

Her strength

Her sight

Her life

All of them were going to be taken away from her. Everything was going to be taken away from her. How cruel the world was. She had everything now because she had sacrificed the one thing she had lived with since she was born: _her blindness_. Her blindness gave her more power, but it did not give her sight. Neither did it give her the ability to relate to the colorful world around her. And now, because of her sacrifice, she was going to lose it all.

.

~o0o~

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_Sometimes… when we have everything, we think of the things we lack…_

_._

_Or the things we let go…_

.

~o0o~

.

This time, the Firebender struck her on the face.

Toph could no longer take it. She allowed the man to hit her on the face. And as a bonus, Toph faced her death with her eyes open. When it hit her, it burned away some of her hair, blackened her flesh, and ate away the membrane that covered her eyes. The surrounding air was definitely becoming harder to breathe. She wasn't just burning. She was choking to death too. The fire from the man was consuming it all away. Toph saw it coming.

It was the last thing she would ever see again.

Because, as soon as it was through, Toph could see nothing but blackness.

Now, she sacrificed everything—maybe even her life.

.

~o0o~

.

The Firebender knew without a doubt that she was going to die. Surely, not now. Fire maybe dangerous and painful, but it worked too slowly. She's alive—for the time being. But the soldier knew she had no power for life. A person's power came from the things that kept a person going. But there was nothing going for this girl. She was entirely powerless.

But Toph was not powerless.

With tears in her eyes and her repetitive sobbing, she reached down onto the metal beneath her and grabbed it. It was a painful experience. Her hands were badly burned and they were bleeding too. To grab something with such strength would force more pain and she should have cried out. The metal felt raw and so did her delicate flesh.

But now, the metal was there. She could feel it. She could feel through it. The metal and earth were a part of her again.

Sacrifice.

Toph had sacrificed a lot of things, but this by far, was the most meaningful one. She sacrificed her vision and everything else just so she could experience the pain all over again. Just so she could be blind all over again.

The fire that had burned her face, hair, and skin had also eaten through her eyes. And with that, her vision was taken away. A sudden return of old strength came back to her and so did her power. She _purposely_ sacrificed her vision to get her old strength back. She sacrificed her face to do it too.

Toph went wild with sobbing. Before the Firebender could realize what had happened, Toph violently Metalbended the top of the airship and launched him high into the air. He didn't know what hit him. He just knew that somehow, the girl was far stronger than he thought

And when he was gone, Toph finally opened her eyes.

She couldn't see anything anymore. Everything was gone.

"_I can't see…_" Toph cried to no one in particular. "_No… Please… Bring back the colors… I want to see again… I'll do anything… Please…_"

And Toph collapsed into tears.

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**Southern Jongmu Air Temple**

"_You don't know what you've done!_" Aang screamed. "_My friends are out there—suffering for me! They're suffering because they want me up here! They're __**dying**__ for me! They're sacrificing themselves because __**you**__ wanted to do battle! They told me to stop you! And that's what I'm going to do, Azula! I'm going to stop you! I swear! I swear I'm going to stop you!_"

Azula kept quiet. Her actions spoke for her. With fire on her heels, she charged forward. One punch. Two punch. A short blast of air punched first and then another.

Aang swept it away by twirling his staff in front of him.

"_Do you hear me, Azula? I'm not leaving this place until you're stopped—one way or another!_"

Azula scoffed. "_Is that a threat? Are you threatening…to what? Are you saying that you'll try to kill me?_"

Aang stopped for a second. No. He couldn't kill.

Azula laughed. "_You see… All the things you're saying now—they're nothing to me… They're absolutely nothing… Because you can't kill me… I know you can't… And that's too bad… Because the only way you're going to stop me today is if you kill me… That's the only way, Airbender… It's the only way…_"

"_I can hurt you, Azula_," Aang threatened.

"_Hurt me?_" Azula laughed as she attacked again. Aang blocked once more. "_You may have all the elements through some ill-conceived method of magic, but I have the Avatar Spirit… I am the planet's spirit in one body!_"

Aang blocked another attack and was swept to the side. "_Oh yeah… Well I have something else… I have the human spirit…_"

Azula laughed. "_Now don't go all 'dramatic' on me… I'm sure that you and your 'human spirit' have a few powers, but you don't know my power. The Avatar Spirit has no weakness…_"

"_Yeah_," Aang agreed. "_But the human spirit has no limits._"

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**Southern Air Nomad Territory, Central Islands**

"_They're climbing higher!_" Sokka shouted, referring to the Fire Nation tanks. "_If they reach the top, Aang will have too much on his hands to stop Azula! We have to get these guys off the mountain somehow!_"

"_What about Appa?_" Suki questioned. "_We left him all alone in the middle of a cavern!_"

Sokka pulled out a Sky Bison whistle from his pocket. "_Don't worry… He's safe as long as he stays put. And in case something happens and we need to get out in a hurry, we can call him with this._" Sokka then slipped it into Suki's pocket. "_Just make sure that you don't lose it so easily…_"

Suki smiled and then she sighed. "_Sokka… There's something I need to tell you… It's been nagging at me since we started this mission…_"

Sokka looked at Suki tenderly. "What is it?"

"I know we have this major role in helping Aang," Suki started. "And I know that we have to do everything to make sure Aang handles his battle all on his own… But I didn't tell you that there was something I didn't want to do… There's something I'm afraid of—something I just can't do…"

Sokka looked at her, puzzled. "What are you talking about…?"

"Sokka," Suki said. "I'm afraid to die… I really am. I can be brave whenever I have to be, but when a situation has me pinned, I just can't sacrifice myself so easily and die… I can't."

"But all those fights…" Sokka mouthed.

"Yes," Suki nodded. "I fought all of them, unafraid… I faced Azula and I was with you the day Sozin's Comet returned… I know… But If I have no other choice but death, I don't think I could go through with it…When the time comes and I know I'm going to die, I'm really going to be scared. I know I've never said it, but I'm afraid to die…"

Suki lowered her head, afraid of what Sokka might say.

Then, Sokka reached out and pulled her into a warm embrace.

"Then that's where I come in," said Sokka. "That's where protect you…"

Suki took a moment before responding and began to laugh. "You're not acting all '_macho_' on me, are you?"

Sokka blustered. "_Me? No!_"

Suki pressed herself on Sokka and sighed. "Thank you…"

"And Suki…" Sokka said.

"Yeah?" she asked.

Sokka pulled her away and dragged her to the ground. Mechanical clunking noises echoed from below them. A huge fireball suddenly shot from below and was heading right for them. Sokka gave the command instantly.

"_SHIELD!!!_"

.

~o0o~

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"_We have to make it a few feet higher!_" Sokka ordered as he climbed even higher. The tanks were below them and they were hot on their trail. Above them, they could see the foundations of the Southern Air Temple and they could feel the disturbances from the titanic battle that was taking place on its grounds.

"_See that ledge over there?_" Sokka pointed. Suki nodded. "_Below that are a couple of loose boulders that could possibly collapse. The result would be a massive landslide that could possibly wipe out the oncoming troop of tanks. If we could reach the ledge and break it apart from above, I believe we could stop the tanks while steering clear from the landslide at the same time!_"

Suki nodded. "_Just lead the way…_"

A fireball flew towards them.

"_Shield!_"

Suki raised her shield and protected both of them. As soon as the collision was over, the two climbed again. It was a very difficult race. The tanks, with their anchorage to the mountainside, could easily climb the mountain and could completely avoid the landslide. Meanwhile, Sokka and Suki had both exhaustion and human strength to slow them down all the way to the ledge before the tanks could catch up to them.

"_Shield!_"

This time, there were six shots and two of them hit their mark. The shield, after already a huge amount of hits, was beginning to wear out. It was only a matter of time before the shield would become too hot to hold and too soft to protect.

"_It's too hot!_" Suki screamed.

"_Drop it!_" Sokka ordered. "_We're almost there!_"

And then, another fireball was launched.

"_Fireball!_" Suki screamed.

"_Just keep climbing!_" Sokka shouted. "_Trust me! Those guys can't hit the backside of a Platypus Bear even if it was deliberately doing a butt-dance in front of them…_"

_**CRAAAASH!!!**_

A fireball landed inches from Sokka's head.

"_They're closing in on us!_" Suki cried.

Suddenly, a strong hand gripped onto Suki's and pulled her onto a large ledge. Sokka pulled her up with a confident smile and pulled out his space sword from its sheath. He smiled at her.

"_It doesn't matter anymore… We're here…_"

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~o0o~

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Then, Sokka jammed his space sword in between two large and loose boulders. Then, using the sword as a lever, he began to pry the boulders loose from the mountain. At first, Sokka's strength didn't seem to budge it. But then, the boulders began to give way. Pretty soon, their portion of the mountainside was rumbling.

And then, the mountainside gave way.

The landslide took out everything in its path.

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~o0o~

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"_It worked!_" Suki cheered. "_It worked!_"

Sokka and Suki both jumped up and down, relieved that their task was through. Down below, the incoming tanks were already falling off and the crashing of metal against one another was heard throughout the mountainside. Pretty soon, nothing of the tanks was left but their remains. The dust cloud and the fog were all that was left of them.

Sokka looked up, to the Air temple, and said, "_We did our parts… It's all up to you now, Aang…_"

But then, Suki was tugging on his armor. "_Sokka… There's a problem…_"

Suddenly, Sokka knew it too. He could feel it through his feet. He felt it within his body too. The moment the ledge broke away from the mountainside, the equilibrium in Sokka's body was broken and reversed. His fluids rose up his body and his mind told him before his senses that he was falling. Suki screamed. Sokka was about to go into shock.

When they started to fall, Sokka looked below and realize that the ledge had been over a cliff with nothing below except the fog—and death.

The two of them went over the edge.

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~o0o~

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"_SOKKA!!!_" Suki screeched.

Everything was happening in slow motion now. Sokka's calculative mind suddenly told him to grab onto something. Instantly, the order was sent out from his brain to the other parts of his body. In no time at all, the young warrior's left hand caught hold of a nearby rock that had protruded from the steep mountainside. He howled in pain at the sudden stop and he thought his arm would have torn apart from him. There was a definite dislocation there.

"_HELP!!!_"

Suki!

In that slow motion, Sokka saw Suki still falling. She was screaming her heart out and Sokka could see now that she was right—Suki was afraid to die.

At that moment, Sokka was about to reach out with his right hand and grab her before she fell too far, but there was a problem.

Sokka's arm was too short. Suki was too far away.

How was he going to save her?

.

~o0o~

.

_Don't think of the sword as a weapon… Think of it as another part of your body…_

_._

_More like a__n extra-long, really sharp arm…_

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~o0o~

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Suki couldn't stop screaming. The experience was a frightening one. _This was it…_ she told her nerves. _This is the part where she was going to die…_ But Suki would not accept it. She didn't want to die.

But then, just like a warrior in shining armor galloping along to save the damsel in distress, Sokka's voice cut through her fear and called out to her.

"_SUKI!!! Grab on!!!_"

Suki saw it in the middle of all that fear. She saw the handle of Sokka's space sword reaching out to her. It was like a gift from the heavens. Suki took the gift without second thoughts and grabbed it with both hands, clinging onto it for dear life.

.

~o0o~

.

Sokka shouted in agony.

When Suki grabbed onto the handle of the sword, Sokka had to stop her body from falling too. This put additional weight on his left hand which was clinging onto the mountainside.

_Wasn't this familiar, somewhere…?_

No.

When he and Toph were clinging for dear life on the platform of the airship during the day of Sozin's Comet, he was not clinging on it. Instead, he was on the platform with his arm hanging onto Toph. But this situation was entirely different. This time, both their lives were at stake. Both of them were dangling off the mountain.

"_Sokka!_" Suki screamed. "_Whatever you do, don't let go!_"

Sokka looked down and saw Suki, who was holding onto the sword's handle in an awkward manner. Her eyes were shut and her lip was wobbling. Her body was in a fetal position and she clasped onto the handle like a baby. Already, tears were streaming out of her eyes.

"_Don't let go, please…_" Suki begged with her eyes shut. "_Don't let go…_"

Sokka nodded and thought to himself, _I'm going to protect you…_

"Suki!" Sokka called out. "I'm going to swing you to the mountainside. See if you can catch onto the—"

"_NO!_" Suki cried. "_Please… Don't make me let go…_"

Sokka only realized now the scale of Suki's fear of death. It was a big one. Suki wasn't going to let go at all. She didn't want to die. So, Sokka had only one other way to get her to safety: He was going to have to pull her up first so she could reach the ledge.

Sokka exhaled hard and began.

"Don't worry," Sokka said confidently—and with a smile too. "I'm going to pull you up."

.

~o0o~

.

Suki's fear was so strong that it even blocked her hearing. Sokka's words didn't seem to penetrate that fear. To Suki, she was caught in this really dark room, surrounded by this incredible, hideous monster that was just waiting for her to come closer. Suki squeezed herself into the corner of the room and hugged her legs so tightly that she began to shake. She was so caught up in this that she didn't even feel Sokka pulling her up.

But there was something that brought her out of that room and into the real world.

Something thick and wet landed on her head.

Suki opened her eyes and looked up.

The liquid that had landed on her head was not water, but rather, blood.

Sokka's blood.

Here's what was happening. During the moment Sokka realized he couldn't reach Suki with his arm alone, he knew that he would have to use his space sword to reach out for Suki. But he knew there was only one way Suki was going to grab hold onto the sword without getting hurt. _Suki had to grab the sword's handle_.

That meant one other thing for Sokka. The young warrior had to hold on to the sword—and subsequently, to Suki—_by grasping onto the sharp, sleek blade._

.

~o0o~

.

Suki's words were dry.

"_Sokka…_" she gasped. "_You're bleeding…_"

Sokka laughed, but it was an uncomfortable one. "_Don't worry… It's just a little blood…_"

No. Sokka was lying. The blood was dripping in excess. When Sokka had to stop Suki's fall, the blade had sliced into his fingers and would have slipped all the way had Sokka not applied more pressure—and thus, more blood. The sword itself was not helping. Aside from its sleekness, the blade was too smooth to grab onto and too sharp to grip on. If Sokka didn't value Suki's life at all, he wouldn't have grasped so tightly around the sharp, cutting edge.

The blade—it was covered in scarlet blood.

"_I'm pulling you up…_" Sokka spoke. But his voice was cracking under pain. "_Don't be scared… I'm going to save you, so don't be—_"

The sword slipped for a fraction of a second. Sokka tightened his grip on the blade, stopping it before it slipped completely. There was very little of the sword to hold onto. More blood began to spill from his fingers and onto the sword.

Sokka didn't scream at the sudden pain, but instead, gave a short and small gasp. He was concealing his pain. He was doing what countless physicians in the Southern Water Tribe would do to their patients. Sokka was showing Suki that what he was doing wasn't really that worrisome, so Suki wouldn't have to worry. But in reality, the sword had already cut too deeply into his fingers, exposing raw flesh to the outside world.

But Suki knew that Sokka was in terrible pain. "_Sokka… You're hurt…_"

But Sokka didn't seem to listen. He just kept pulling her up with all his strength. Suki was not oblivious of Sokka's strength. His strength was amazing. His strength was so strong, that it was more than enough to carry both of them to safety. Suki would have called Sokka a hero, but she thought it would distract him.

And the sword slipped again.

This time, Sokka had noting left to hold onto but the sharp pointed tip of the sword. He held it with all his might. The boy didn't seem to complain and continued pulling her up. The pointed tip cut clean through Sokka's palm.

"_You're almost there, Suki…_"

Suki looked at Sokka differently from that moment on. Such sacrifice and love he had. All to save her. It was humbling and selfless. Sokka would endure pain to save her.

And when Suki looked at herself, at her fear, she realized how selfish she was.

"_Sokka…_" she spoke. "_I've faced it now…_"

Sokka, with closed eyes, asked, "_What do you mean…?_"

"_My fears…_" she said.

Sokka looked down at her with open eyes. The young warrior was not smiling. That was because he could listen between the lines. Suki wasn't talking exactly about her intentions. She was speaking of something else.

"_Suki… Whatever you're about to—_"

Suki finally smiled. "_I love you too…_"

And then, she released her hold on the sword.

Sokka watched as she fell through the fog below.

"_SUUUKKKKEEEEE!!!_"

.

~o0o~

.

Sokka became much weaker the moment Suki fell. He did pull himself up. He did find another ledge in which to lie down upon. But he was utterly weakened now. His muscles felt like they had been twisted so much that they had turned into strings. His right hand was bleeding all over the ground. Sokka didn't have the strength to place a bandage on it.

_Suki…_

Sokka realized that from all the sacrifices he had made, nothing could have compared to the sacrifice Suki had made. She had sacrificed her life to relieve Sokka of his pain. She had sacrificed her life so Sokka could be alive in return. And Suki had faced her fear of death. That was the biggest and most powerful thing Suki ever did.

But now, she was dead.

And as Sokka lay down on the ledge, he couldn't help but break into sobs. His eyes were watery. His body was trembling. Hid bloody hands grasped his face. He felt weaker than he had ever been in his life. He had enough strength for the both of them, but alone, he was weaker.

Sokka switched his thoughts to other things.

He thought of beautiful melodies and music.

Like the simple melody of a bison whistle.

Sokka sat up and smiled, his strength returning.

And sure enough, the sweet, relieving, enchanting melody of a bison whistle echoed throughout the mountainside. Sokka listened to it and allowed it to consume his soul.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

~o0o~

.

_The worlds are aligning, Aang…_

_Without a bridge to connect the two worlds together, the planet will have to resort to new means for the worlds to connect… This is an imbalance, Aang… In the next few days, pieces of land will start to disappear into the Spirit World…_

_._

_Without the Avatar to fix this, the world will destroy itself…_

.

~o0o~

.

_Believe it or not, Aang and his friends are more than enough__ to bring balance to the world._

_Though Aang may not have strength or the power to defeat the new Avatar, he has determination to make up for it._

.

~o0o~

.

_But more importantly, the world had changed that day. You changed all of us._

_You gave Katara's strength._

_You gave Toph's vision in more ways than one._

_You gave Zuko's freedom._

_You gave me renewed purpose…_

_And you… You were the giver…_

_So you've done more than enough for us, Aang…_

_You've done more than we could ever sacrifice._

.

~o0o~

.

_With Roku gone and the Great Comet returning, the timing was perfect to change the world. I knew the next Avatar would be born an Air Nomad so I wiped out the Air Temples._

_._

_But somehow the new Avatar eluded me._

_._

_I wasted the remainder of my life searching in vain. I know he's hiding out there somewhere; the Fire Nation's greatest threat_

_._

_The Last Airbender…_

.

~o0o~

.

_But we __can't__ let Azula master all four elements…_

_We can't__…_

_If she does, then no one will stop her. We need an advantage. She can easily master water and earth, but not __air__._

_Aang, __you__ are our advantage._

_You and __only__ you can be the master of Airbending. That is our chance of winning…_

_My sister's only blind-spot…_

_._

_The Last Airbender…_

.

~o0o~

_._

_A hundred years have passed and the Fire Nation is nearing victory in the war…_

_._

_But I haven't lost hope…_

_._

_I still believe that somehow_

_The Avatar will return_

_To save the world_

.

.

.

.

.

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.

**Southern Jongmu Air Temple**

Aang was lying on one of the temple towers, more wounded than her had ever been, more bruised than her had ever been, more hurt than he had ever felt, more disturbed than he had ever thought, less alive than he had ever dreamed, less conscious than he had ever believed, more beaten than he had ever believed, and more silent than he could ever be.

Aang was about to die.

.

~o0o~

.

It happened some moments after Aang asked the question.

"_Where is Khai?_"

Azula laughed mockingly. "_You're still looking for the boy? How very amusing… I don't really understand why you want him so much… After all, he's just a little boy who can't sit still for more than a few seconds… You don't know the lengths I had to go through just to make sure that boy listened to what I say… Training me was nearly impossible…_"

Aang stepped forward, raising a fist at Azula. "If you hurt one hair on his head, you're going to regret it…"

Azula smiled. "And if I hurt _all_ the hair on his head, what's going to happen…?"

"_GNRAAAAAH!!!_"

Aang was in no mood to be mocked at. He charged forward again with the ends of his staff lit with fire. He spun it around, turning it into a blazing circle. Aang collected more and more heat. In seconds, the fire had grown considerably. Then, when the fire was huge enough, Aang swung his staff like a bat and the fireball that blasted out was great in intensity.

Azula stopped it by collecting a small stream of water and letting it pass through the very center of the fireball. The blast dissipated immediately.

Aang was panting hard.

"Exhausted already?" Azula taunted. "But we haven't even begun to fight…"

Aang grasped his knees and breathed. The flight from Whale-Tail Island to the Southern Air Temple had taken a huge chunk of his energy. But it wasn't just that. Aang didn't know that he was needlessly and dangerously exhausting more and more energy out of his anger and aggression towards Azula. But Aang was caught up in it all. He didn't have time to think of himself or his actions.

Aang was firing wild shots. His attacks flew off in all directions—all except for Azula. Those that did manage to get close enough to feel were snuffed out with Azula's Airbending.

Azula kept laughing.

But can anyone blame Aang for his anger and rage? After all, Aang had nothing left to lose now. One could say that Aang had nothing left to care for. In fact, he was not bothered by the consequences if Azula won this battle. He was only concerned with inflicting pain.

But this was exactly had Azula planned Aang to fall.

She had made him aggressive and violent. Aang could no longer think coherently and therefore, Aang will begin to make mistakes. Pretty soon, Azula will have him cornered to a wall with nowhere to go and place to go. Then, all it would take would be a simple bolt of lightning right through Aang's heart. Aang—whatever he might think—had fallen into Azula's hands.

_**ZRAAACK!!!**_

Azula began to shoot lightning.

Aang was quickly caught off-guard. The fire in his hands fizzled and died. The bolt of lightning hit him at his hands, but Aang was only able to redirect only so much. Some of the electricity was still coursing through him and Aang's hand began to bleed. Pain was ricocheting through his system.

_Get away_, said his nerves.

Aang immediately jumped to the top of one of the temple towers—dropping his staff in his clumsiness. But Aang wasn't through fighting. He still Firebended at Azula with the same amount of fury as before. His attacks missed though and hit the many temple structures. Fire was burning all around.

Azula shot another bolt of lightning and continued to laugh.

.

~o0o~

.

Then, Aang saw it.

From his view point atop one of the temple towers, he could see that the south wall was completely gone—buried in rubble and water. Some of the temple towers were burning and the smoke was reaching high into the air. Pieces of brick and tiles were crumbling off. Some parts of the temple looked like a huge storm had swept right through it. The whole place was no longer recognizable.

The Southern Air Temple—Aang's home—was in ruins.

All because of him.

.

~o0o~

.

_Learn restraint or risk destroying yourself and everything you love…_

.

~o0o~

.

Aang fell on his knees, grabbed his head with both his hands, and cursed. He watched as the temple was crumbling away before his eyes. And that was when Aang's eyes were opened. The destruction of the temple had been like cold water splashed on his face.

_There is a better way to fight_…

And after that moment, not only were Aang's eyes opened, but so were his ears.

He could hear someone screaming for help far below him. In fact, that same voice had been screaming for help since the battle began. Aang was just too preoccupied to hear it, so it blended away with the explosions and the rest of the noise.

"_SOMEBODY GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!_" screamed the voice. "_THERE'S A FIRE!!!_"

Khai.

Aang immediately started to move.

"_Don't worry!_" Aang shouted to the voice below him. "_I'm coming to get you!_"

.

~o0o~

.

But Aang could not when another shot of lightning ran through him from behind.

_**ZRAAACK!!!**_

.

~o0o~

.

Aang's eyes widened and his mouth formed an "O" shape. He dared to look at his chest. It was smoking like a leftover bonfire. The front of his body was blackened. The world around him began to spin and to drop out completely.

Aang was about to die.

But not yet.

When Aang's body had been hit by lightning, he reacted involuntarily. Too many lightning bolts made his body accustomed to the surging feeling. His hands had extended out and began to filter out the electricity like a sponge the moment he was hit. But unfortunately, Aang's body could only expel too little and it wasn't enough to prevent the terminal effect. It wasn't enough to save him.

Aang was about to die, but not yet.

There was still a conversation to be made.

.

~o0o~

.

Azula jumped up from below and landed right next to Aang's smoking body. Aang, who was lying on the ground, could not move any other part of his body aside from his eyes and mouth. Then, Azula walked up to Aang. Aang saw her coming from his peripheral vision, but he could not escape. He was like a soul trapped in his own body. He had nowhere to go.

Azula stopped beside Azula and stood by him. She extended out her hand, which held Aang's staff. She smiled at him and said, "_You dropped your staff…_"

Aang mentally cursed himself again.

"Still alive, are we?" asked Azula. "How strange… I was sure my attack would have killed you. Nevertheless, I can see that you're not getting up from where you're lying and your connection to this life grows weaker and weaker… In a few moments, you will be gone…"

Aang shut his eyes and cried inwardly. Azula seemed to be narrating the story of his life—and for that matter, his death.

Then, Azula looked terribly vexed. She rubbed her temples with Aang's staff still in her hand. Her eyebrows knitted together in annoyance. "That young brat's voice is following me wherever I go… He's screaming his head off right beneath us… I guess he'll have to go too—the sooner the better…"

Aang opened his eyes and stared forward, at the darkening sky above.

"_You're going to kill him…?_" Aang asked. There was a tremor in his voice.

Azula chuckled a bit. "From what I can hear, I might not have to… There seems to be a fire that has him cornered."

Aang dared not look at Azula from that moment on. He continued to stare into the sky, blinking once or twice when needed. He kept his focus there and listened to Azula or her movements. Inside, Aang was afraid and shaking. To be in such proximity with Azula made things all the scarier. He was even more afraid because he could no longer move and he was growing weaker by the second. If Azula chose to quicken his death, there was nothing Aang could do. In short, Aang was afraid.

"_There's no hope in you…_" Aang whispered.

Azula heard those words. "What was that?"

Aang remained silent.

Azula grit her teeth and stepped forward with murderous intent. Aang just listened to her drawing footsteps and trembled. As she walked forward, she began to speak sharply.

"_Now listen here, Airbender… Listen to me…_" Azula began. "_I know you are not one for lengthy discussions, but seeing as that there isn't much you can do before you die, I believe you will be willing to listen… I'm going to explain to you who I am and why your pithy remarks mean nothing to me…_

"_I am Princess Azula, soon to be Fire Lord, and the current Avatar who has defeated you. And you see…I don't really care what comes out of your mouth… Much less if it concerns me… Because as of now, you are beneath me… You are so beneath me that stepping on you would be an insult to my pride…_"

Aang stared into the sky, listening. And then, just when Aang thought Azula was going to be continuing her conversation, something happened.

_Aang began to spurt blood from his mouth._

Azula looked at Aang and smiled. "Ah… Your body is giving out… There's not much time left for you…"

Aang became angry all of a sudden. "_Get a conscience…_" he spat. More blood spurted out.

Azula laughed. "You can't create consciences."

Aang had enough. Enough. He didn't care anymore whether or not he was going to fall into another one of Azula's traps by allowing himself to dwell in his emotions. He _hated _Azula—_hated her!_ There really was no soul in her—no light. Aang just wouldn't allow her to hurt anyone else. Azula had to go down.

_Kill her?_

No. Aang could not bear the thought of killing anyone. And besides, there was little Aang could do in his near-death position. But there were other ways to fight.

So, Aang tilted his head towards Azula, mustered all his strength, and did the only thing he had enough energy for.

.

~o0o~

.

Azula saw the sudden turn of head. Azula saw the fallen Airbender breathe sharply. She saw that there the boy seemed to be angry at her. She saw that the boy would do anything to stop her.

And the boy began to breathe fire.

.

~o0o~

.

Though Aang did breathe fire, Azula could see that his aim was off. Nevertheless, Azula used Aang's wooden staff against him and blocked the fire by spinning it around and blowing it away.

Aang groaned. Azula had blocked his pathetic attempt. And aside from that, his vision was beginning to darken.

He would only have one more chance to attack again.

But Azula didn't find Aang's stunt amusing anymore. She knew that dying people often brought their hated enemies down with them to the grave. She had to be careful with Aang. It was time to threaten him again. Azula made Aang look at her and she held up Aang's staff in front of him.

"I know how much you value your possessions," Azula remarked. "There are very few material things in this world that you actually hold on to. One of them is this staff. Now, the choice is up to you. Die peacefully and without a fight or I burn this staff… If I were you, I would die without anymore pain."

But Aang had already begun to take in another breath of air.

Azula shook her head disapprovingly. "I thought you would be more reasonable. Don't think I won't burn it before you attack me, Airbender."

But Aang attacked anyway.

.

~o0o~

.

Azula was devious and cunning. As promised, Azula would burn Aang's staff the moment he attacked again. But instead of igniting it with fire of her own, Azula placed the staff in the way of Aang's attack and Aang's very flames consumed it, burning his very staff.

Aang watched as Azula dropped his staff to the ground. The sight of it burning was a sight Aang would take to the grave.

More blood spilled from his mouth.

.

~o0o~

.

"_I got something that might help you with Azula, Twinkletoes," said Toph as she came closer. She pulled out a small stick of dynamite from her pocket. "I found this in the Fire Nation ship and I thought it might come in handy. Here. You take it."_

.

~o0o~

.

Aang had not aimed at Azula at all.

Before he fell quiet, Aang had _purposely_ aimed his attack at his staff. When Azula suggested burning the staff herself, Aang concealed the fact that that was exactly what he intended to do. Aang thought Azula was unknowingly helping him.

So why did Aang want to burn his staff?

It had everything to do with the snack compartment.

Azula did not know of the snack compartment in the glider, but Aang did. And Aang no longer used it for snacks only. He would fit anything small enough to fit in the snack compartment. And that's where Toph came in. Because on the morning before they were to go to war, she had given him a small stick of dynamite. Aang had not planned on using it. He never thought he would go that far.

But just in case, he kept it with him as he did not dispose of it.

And where did Aang keep it?

In the snack compartment of his glider.

And now, the glider he intended to destroy was burning. And as the fire engulfed the wooden covering of the snack compartment, it lit the fuse on the small dynamite stick. Aang had planned to blow it up, hoping the explosion could injure Azula. He didn't care whether or not he was going to die because of the explosion. All he wanted now was to stop Azula and hurt her enough to stop her from doing what she was doing.

"_The pain…_" Aang cried suddenly. "_Everything's disappearing…_"

Azula smiled. "And so it ends…"

But this time, Aang smiled. "_I'm not done fighting yet Azula…_"

And Aang stared at the burning staff Azula had dropped beside her.

.

~o0o~

.

To anyone who was observing the temple from afar, they would have noticed a long moment of ceasefire after a shot of bright lightning. After that, everything became silent again. Nothing seemed to happen for quite sometime and they would have thought that the fight was over.

But then, an explosion appeared above the Southern Air Temple.

.

~o0o~

.

The explosion was devastating. It blew a hole right through the top of the tower and scorched the structure. A small black cloud lifted into the air.

Azula shielded herself immediately. She didn't understand how it had happened. But protecting her was basic instinct. The explosion, though powerful, was but a small one and it exhausted itself and disappeared quickly. Azula was thrown back a bit. Her clothing burned slightly.

Aang, though, did not fare any better. Already struck by lightning, the explosion was salt to his wounds. It also quickened his leave from this world.

Azula came by him. "I understand that the explosion was your last attempt to take me down. I'm sorry to say that it didn't work."

And then, Aang just gave up. He was tired, exhausted, frustrated, and disappointed. He had nothing left to live for. Why should he continue trying to save himself and everyone else? And as a result of that mindset, Aang's body gave up on him too. The blood that dripped from his mouth stopped flowing signalling the end of his bodily functions. This was exactly how Aang had dreamed it would happen. First, there would be a lightning strike through his body and then, momentary death.

Aang's eyes stared forward and stayed open. The final drops of blood dripped from his mouth.

.

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**Southern Air Nomad Territory, Eastern Islands**** (Nightfall)**

General Shu walked into the bridge with a heavy heart and a stern face. The generals that were waiting for him there had quieted down the moment they could hear his footsteps approach. When he entered the room, he looked more perplexed than he had ever been. He came forward and placed himself at the head of the table. Their meeting was about to begin.

And it began with General Shu's fist crashing on the table.

Everyone jumped at that.

"_STATUS REPORT!_" the general demanded.

One of the lieutenants cleared his throat and began speaking. "Even though it really looks bad out there, the numbers don't lie. We have very little casualties… Most of our men are still alive and the fleet is still battle-ready. Our troops are moving around freely and—"

"_Don't patronize me!_" General Shu cut in. "_Give me damage reports! I want to know everything that's happened and the things that are happing at this moment!_"

The lieutenant who had spoken began clearing his throat again. It was a habit of his. But this time, he was more uneasy. He sweated like a wild Boar-Q-Pine on a hot summer day. "The airborne troops that came in from the east left a long trail of damage from the outer regions of the armada to the center. Some of the ships have frozen over and some have been shot from the sky. But they haven't destroyed a lot. They only took on those that were blocking their paths."

"And what of our aerial fleet?" nudged the general.

"Well…" the lieutenant began. "Our air fleet didn't fare so well against them… In fact, the damage is continuing on till now…"

"How so?"

"One of the Sky Bison from the enemy air fleet rose up and took down most, if not all, of the war balloons. Then, they began attacking the airships. Some of them were being shot down while others were taken down from the inside-out. The Sky Bison dropped off two people on separate ships and they've been taking down airships ever since."

General Shu rubbed his chin. "How are they taking down the airships exactly?"

The lieutenant turned to some pieces of paper he had stacked on the table. "We've received reports from a number of airships that there have been sightings of a Waterbender. The Waterbender has been slicing through the hull and forcing ships to fall from the sky. At one point some of the soldiers had caught her but she became aggressive and no one has reported about her ever since.

"We've received another report from one specific airship where the metal from its hull suddenly folded up from the outside and was torn apart. Most of the soldiers who survived have claimed that someone or something tore the ship apart. The airship was then suddenly commandeered from the outside and crashed onto another airship in midair."

General Shu rubbed his temples. "And what about our land troops? Did anything happen to the tanks by the mountains?"

The lieutenant scratched his head. "The enemy air fleet evaded most of them until they reached the temple mountain. Today, a recent report came to me that the tanks by the Southern Air Temple mountainside have been crushed in a landslide."

General Shu pounded his fist on the table once more.

The general then looked at one of the members sitting by the table. "_Long Feng, the ground troops were in your division! You said you had everything planned out! You bragged that nothing could get past you!_"

Long Feng paled instantly. "B-But I didn't know that they were coming from the air—"

"_Quiet!_" shouted the general. "_It seems very clear to me that you do not know what exactly the demands of war are! And that's what I have to expect from an Earth Kingdome secretariat! Zhao shouldn't have assigned you the position in the first place!_"

Long Feng was trembling. "But, I—"

"_Out!_" ordered General Shu. "_Get him out of my sight!_"

"Wait—!" Long Feng pleaded. "Don't—!" But his pleas had no effect. Royal guards came in and dragged him away from the table by the shoulders. When the commotion was over, the Fire Nation officers were more frightened than ever.

"Any other information I need to know of?" asked the general. "Even the slightest bit may help."

One of the trembling officers raised a hand. "We've had several _bizarre _reports of soldiers seeing a flying man riding on a jet of white fire only hours ago. The man seemed to be heading for the central islands."

"I said reports," General Shu spoke, "not _fairytales_…"

"S-Sorry… S-Sir…" bowed the officer.

General Shu hissed. "_And so, our enemies have mad it all the way through…_"

"Yes, sir…" answered one of the officers.

General Shu sighed. "They've reached the Southern Air Temple…?"

"Yes…"

"And so, Azula must be fighting for her life," asked General Shu.

The officers around the table looked at one another.

"Has anyone observed anything from the temple?" asked the general.

Another officer spoke up. "Yes, sir. We have soldiers stationed on the top of one of the mountains adjacent to the temple. They've observed a battle that's been going on for hours. There were reports of all kinds of disturbances—floods, explosions, earthquakes, and tornadoes to say the least."

General Shu nodded. "It's still going on?"

The officer shook his head. "Our most recent report states that something has happened. The battle had stopped all of a sudden. No disturbances were reported for a while now."

General Shu understood, fearing the worst. "Something has happened. It would be either Azula or the enemy. One of them has been defeated."

A captain leaned forward. "What should we do sir? Should we send in reinforcements to aid the princess?"

General Shu suddenly stood up and raised a halting hand.

"No."

The generals were appalled. "You _don't_ want to send help for the princess?" asked one of the officers in confirmation.

General Shu shook his head. "By and large, we have a lot of things on our hands as of now. There are injured that need to be shipped out and repairs to be made. Also, this whole thing had been Zhao's own _fault_. He planned this. He wanted the armada to protect the princess without considering the safety of the people. And if he believes in the princess, then let it be so. Azula is the Avatar. Zhao wants us to believe in her, so be it."

"But what about our enemies?" asked the first lieutenant. "Are you going to let them go?"

General Shu shook his head and turned away. "As of now, we can do nothing about them. They will be free to cause havoc until we can reorganize the fleet. But make no mistake, people… These enemies aren't leaving this place alive…"

"How are we going to fight them?" asked the lieutenant.

"They've made a mistake, you see," spoke General Shu. "They were so concerned in getting _into_ the armada and to the Southern Air Temple. But they did not thoroughly consider getting _out_ of it. Once the moment is right and all the ships are assembled, we will head for the central islands and take them down. Our enemies will have nowhere to go. So you see, people…it doesn't matter if they win against the Avatar or not… We will be waiting for them and they will be stopped before they can escape."

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~o0o~

.

Suddenly a watcher came into the bridge and disrupted the meeting.

"_Sir! Come quickly!_" said the watcher. "_You've got to see this!_"

General Shu was ready to strangle the watcher. "_Can't you see that we're busy—?_"

But the general's words were cut short when suddenly a bright light shined right into the room. Everyone shielded their eyes from the blinding rays of pure white light. General Shu covered his eyes with his arm and shouted: "_Where's that light coming from?_"

The watcher responded. "_The mountains, sir!_"

As the light shined through, General Shu stepped out with a hand to block the light from reaching his face. He gazed at the mountains, finding the source of the light. The light from the nearby mountains was spectacular under the evening sky. The mountains' lights seemed to outshine that of the stars above. But to the general's surprise, the light from the nearby mountains was not caused by other sources. No. The mountains _were_ the light.

"_A lot of people noticed the mountains beginning to glow white earlier, sir…_" said the watcher.

"_What do you think is causing this—?_"

And the light disappeared.

And the mountains disappeared too—out of existence.

General Shu gasped. "_What is happening to the world…?_"

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**Southern Air Nomad Territory,**** (Nightfall)**

Zhao watched from an adjacent mountaintop.

He was clearly surprised.

_I mean_, Zhao thought. _All of the proof is there. Azula is stronger. Azula is clearly thinking far ahead than when she used to in her previous battles. She has the Avatar Spirit, after all. She clearly manipulated her enemy and that added up to his demise… Azula proved herself the ultimate weapon. Everything was on her side this night. She deserved to win this fight…_

_Then why…?_

_Why doesn't it seem fair?_

Zhao stepped back. He had never experienced this kind of thinking before. He believed that the Airbender should have put on more of a fight. He believed that this fight held more importance…but it did not. It didn't match up to his expectations. It was not epic or titanic or world-changing. All that happened was a battle and a death—_nothing more_.

Zhao turned away.

And maybe that's what all war ever is.

As Zhao walked away, he began to think about the all important question: _What is the point to life?_ What makes a man's life so important? And do his actions matter at all? Because, from example by the death that was set much earlier, death is simple and quick. The same things could be said about life. Both happen instantly and both are simple. It's just the people that make it complex.

People are the ones who make _everything_ complex.

.

~o0o~

.

_Whatever you do to that spirit, I'll release on you ten-fold!_

_Let it go, NOW!!!_

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~o0o~

.

Zhao recalled his last few moments on the North Pole. The event had been simple. All that was about to happen was murder. It was supposed to be simple. But people had to complicate things. People are always the problem.

But in war, things are different.

Things are simpler.

When one man dies because his neighbor sought to murder him, the whole family grieves at the sight of his body. Soldiers and peace-keepers would rush in to see the body. News would spread. People would want to know who did it and rectify the situation. There would be consequences. Then, there would be consequences after the consequences.

But in war, once a soldier dies, the others do not grieve _immediately_. Everything happens simply. With one out, the other takes his place and fights for him. Sure, there would be grief in the ending, but no one would care to know who did it other than the knowledge that the "enemy" killed the person. And then, things are simple. Without people to put a face to the killer, death simply becomes "the enemy". The person who died is simply a victim of war.

One death is a sad loss.

A hundred deaths are a statistic.

So, does it matter if this boy is dead? Surely not. He is a victim of war. He is a victim of death. He may have been the Avatar at some time, but he was only made important because people made him so. But death makes all men equal. No man is beyond death. Zhao knew that personally.

But others would protest. They would say that death is really important. But why then does it only matter to those who were close to them. When a close relative dies, the family and friends of the deceased mourn for him or her. But does the world stop? No. The world keeps on going. They don't really care about the deaths of that one person they don't really know of. People on the other side of the world don't feel the loss of life from that one side. The whole world doesn't fall in a state of depression.

Life lives on whether people mourn about it or not.

So, it was decided. Zhao shook his head. The boy's death didn't matter.

And the second of his predictions had come true.

And by tomorrow, the first would be fully realized.

And so…

The Last Airbender is dead.

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_But the one thing Zhao didn't count on was the fact that people weren't simple in the first place…_

_Because, in the beginning, everything happened, but there was no purpose. Plants grew, animals moved, stars glowed, and the world was teeming with life—but there was no purpose. A rock was a rock. A Platypus-Bear was a Platypus-Bear. And a person was a person. Things lived and things died. That was the natural order of things. It made everything simple…_

_But what separated people from the rest of the world was the fact that they were the first of the things to find purpose._

_They are the first pieces of dust that created taken destiny into its own hands._

_And with purpose came art, history, culture, kindness, morality, virtue, honor, love, hate, freedom, and many others far too beneficial to name._

_And beyond purpose came the promise of something more… Something that made everyday worth living for, every fight worth fighting for, and __every death worth dying for… Because without that something, people are nothing…_

_That something __is the only thing that stands beyond the measure of time…_

_It cannot be easily forgotten…_

_It reaches beyond change…_

_It goes further than love, truth, or wisdom…_

_It is the one thing death cannot consume…_

_And that thing is hope…_

_So fear not for Aang because he has departed from this world with some hope… Zhao and Azula both think he left without effort or struggle… But Aang was smarter than death… By continuing to fight, Aang had embodied hope… And when Aang became hope himself, it was clear that neither death nor destruction could touch him. No one can kill hope… Aang knew he was dying, but he outsmarted his enemies…_

_Because, when Aang was lying on the ground—all aggressive and stubborn—he was able to conjure one last trick… He caused the explosion, not only to hurt Azula and hurt her into yielding, but also to free his last chance for hope… When the explosion happened, a large hole was created on the roof… And when Aang saw that hole, he knew he had done it. He knew he had outsmarted Azula…_

_Because below the roof, screaming to be freed from the fires below, was Khai._

_And now, Khai was free._

_Aang had chosen Khai to fight for him…_

_._

_._

_._

_So, when Azula turned around, thinking she was victorious, she saw that little boy with the painted arrow on his chin. She saw the cheerful boy that was no longer cheerful. She saw the boy's eyes ablaze with anger._

_And the only thing Azula did not see was the boy's foot crashing into her nose._

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**Southern Air Temple, (Nightfall)**

"You know," Azula bellowed. "I regret not killing you earlier…"

The fresh blood that was leaking from Azula's nose stung her. It had been a while since she had bled. It had also been a while since someone ever got close enough to do that kind of physical damage to her. Azula concluded that if the foot had been any closer, it would have pushed through her face. Khai was certainly a stronger opponent now.

But Azula's predicament did not change. It was unwise to strike Azula like that. It was even more unwise to make Azula one's opponent. Now, Khai was in the hot-seat.

"Let me be completely honest to you, Khai," spoke Azula. "I am not inclined to kill another person tonight—especially someone without bad blood. You have served your purpose already and have taught me Airbending. I thank you. But if you do not wish to die, I suggest fleeing before you do something ridiculous and completely unnecessary."

Khai listened to Azula but his mind was on Aang—or rather, his body. "You should know that Mister Aang was a brave and nice guy… He didn't have to die like that… And his only wish was to get through you so he could save the world—and you. But I can see now that you will never see the light… And because he has freed me, I will fight for him."

Azula laughed at the boy. "If the Airbender with the four elements couldn't stop me, what are the chances that you'd actually win?"

"There are different ways to fight, Azula," spoke Khai. "I fight from the _inside_…"

"ENOUGH!" Azula spoke. "I'M FINISHING YOU NOW!"

So Azula Firebended at him. Using her right leg, she planned to kick a fireball right into Khai's nose and see how exactly the boy would like it having the tables turned.

But it didn't go that way because Khai was moving very fast. He reached her in the blink of an eye and caught her foot even if her foot was covered in blue fire. Khai braved the burning pain and stopped her attack in mid-motion.

Then, Khai carefully twisted Azula's ankle.

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~o0o~

.

Azula was losing herself in pain. "_YOU CHILD! I'LL WRING YOUR NECK!_"

But Khai never gave Azula the chance. He was already pounding her with lightning-fast punches that beat against her body. Khai chose to strike at key vital points of the boy like the stomach, ribs, and neck. The pain was doubled because Khai was using a form of controlled aggression. Azula had used the same techniques on her opponents many times, but she had never seen it like this before.

Azula chose to counter-attack then because any more punches would result in more pain. So, she used her mouth to Airbend and push Khai back a few paces.

But when Azula blew, Khai did not move—even when Azula's Airbending force was already ripping off loose dust on the ground. That's because Khai had anchored himself on the ground with an even stance. The result was solid footing.

And when Khai found the right moment, he brought his foot down on Azula's shoulder. A charge of blinding white pain rocketed through her body and sent her stumbling back.

_Fight from the inside…_

Khai's tactics were very simple.

No, he was not using simple martial arts movements to take down his opponent. Although, yes, brute force and persistence were the two things keeping Azula at bay, but the pain of damage could only go skin deep. But the way Khai was attacking was not from the outside. It was from the inside-out.

Although Azula did not know it, Khai was taking her whole self-image apart.

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~o0o~

.

Fear and control—the two things that made Azula so powerful.

But Khai had studied Azula thoroughly. He listened to every conversation she ever made, followed every personal story she ever said, observed every emotion (or lack of emotion) she ever showed, and studied every training she ever performed. And after some time, it became clear to Khai how exactly difficult he was going to make himself appear if ever he should face against Azula.

But he knew how to tear her down.

Tear Azula down from the top to the bottom.

At the top, Azula had everything. She was born a ruler and had everything anybody could ever want. She was a member of the royal family and that already gave her a form of position. And beyond that, Khai believed that Azula craved power. She wanted to be on top of everything. And she wanted to be the best. This gave rise to her need for perfection. With perfection, Azula became sharp, precise, and controlled. She mastered Firebending and raised a level higher than that. She performed hand-to-hand combat. She knew the art of stealth weaponry. She was incredibly intelligent. It was all there.

On the next level was fear. It was not Azula's fear. Rather, it was the fear she instilled on others. Azula acknowledged the impact fear forced upon others and so, she used it as a weapon. Khai observed that Azula would threaten without consequence. She used fear to understand her opponents—because nothing brings out a person's true colors like fear.

And with fear came the last level: control. With Azula's extensive knowledge of people through fear, she began to manipulate others. Khai understood that her manipulation was both subtle and implied—either her people knew they were being manipulated or not. With manipulation, she commanded armies, created half-baked friendships, and controlled certain members of her family.

And all of these made Azula very powerful.

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~o0o~

.

But Khai could end it all.

Khai was showing to Azula that he was her antithesis—her reciprocate. Khai had read Azula like an open book and deciphered the means to take her apart. And the plan was simple.

Take down fear, control, and power, Azula was nothing.

And so, as Khai fought valiantly, he showed no fear before her. Azula no longer had leverage on the boy because he fought without fear. And without fear there was no control over him. Azula could not understand how her opponent moved or fought. And without fear and control, Azula would soon lose power.

And when everything was gone, Azula's mind would become unstable. Already, Khai was seeing changes in her facial expression. When the battle began, Azula was controlled. A little smile marked her face. But as the battle pursued, Azula became more "trigger-happy" and started blasting lightning wherever she pleased. But as more and more attacks came her way, Azula was becoming more and more frantic. Her pupils were terribly small and she gritted her teeth more.

Azula was about to lose her grip on sanity.

.

~o0o~

.

Khai was being everything Azula could not be. He showed her pure courage, selflessness, and sheer determination. And all of these things stemmed from sources Azula could not comprehend—like love and wisdom, whereas Azula would use apathy and intelligence.

Khai was now in control.

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**The Spirit World**

He saw it all happening. Parts of the spirit world flooded with light and then disappeared out of existence. The process was quick too. First, a part of the spirit world would decay into a sickly, rotting black. All spiritual life in that area would cease to continue. And then, that part would suddenly glow into a blinding white light that would overwhelm nearly everything within the surrounding area. And then, that portion of the spirit world would just disappear as if it was never there.

"_Aang? Can you hear me…?_"

Aang shook his head from his staring. He turned towards the voice and stopped. He didn't know what to feel. All he knew was that he recognized the face. But at last, Aang felt his emotions stir again. He couldn't have felt happier at that moment to see that particular face. It was Roku.

But Roku was not exactly happy to see him. His face appeared more urgent.

"_Aang you have to listen to me… There's not much time to explain… Time is running out for all of us… It's important you understand the things we're about to tell you…_"

Aang didn't understand. "We? What are you—?"

And then Aang realized who he was talking to. It wasn't just Roku that was standing before him. Standing beside Roku on both sides were Avatar Kuruk, Yangchen, and Kyoshi—the four most recent Avatars of his time. And behind these four were thousands more. Everyone was here and they had all gathered around him.

"_Listen, young Airbender_," said Avatar Yangchen. "_This is a very rare circumstance indeed… Dark trials are coming and the worlds are falling to pieces… The world needs their Avatar back…_"

Aang looked at all of them but his face was one of defeat. "It doesn't matter anymore… I'm already dead…"

Avatar Kuruk raised a finger to object. "_Don't be so quick yet, Airbender… Yes, you are dead… But only mid-way…_"

"_Look at your body,_" continued Avatar Kyoshi.

Aang wanted to say something, but when he did notice his body, it was quite surprising. The coloring of Aang's soul in the spirit world was a bluish monotone compared to that of the rest of the spirits here. Whatever Aang was, it clearly did not belong here in the spirit world.

"What happened to me…?"

"_There's no time to explain!_" Kyoshi shouted. "_You have to listen to us immediately before the—_"

"I need to know!" Aang shouted.

Roku sighed and conceded. "_Rare circumstances, Aang… You see, as the worlds began to collide against one another, it changed everything—including death… When you died, something happened in both worlds that affected your soul… Your body may be fatally wounded, but your soul remains intact… You are not completely dead, but if we don't explain things in a hurry, things might change…_"

Aang stepped back. "I still don't understand."

"_Remember that spirit-man who descended into your plane of existence…?_" asked Yangchen. "_You and he are similar… You and he are what we call 'untouchables'… Both of you belong to the wrong world… The spirit-man was a spirit who walked among men… But in your case, you are a boy walking among spirits…_"

"Untouchables," Aang repeated.

Then, Roku's hand fell on his shoulder. "_Listen, Aang… We may have found an alternative to all this destruction… You may be able to return if your soul is not ready to—_"

Suddenly, Kuruk's voice echoed throughout. "_LOOK!!! WE'RE TOO LATE!!!_"

Aang saw it appear suddenly. The surrounding Avatar spirits first stopped moving. The ground appeared like a rock. And then—very slowly—things began to decay. Roku and all the other spirits were disappearing right before his eyes. They began to blacken and disappear too. And Aang knew what was going to happen next. Everything would disappear in a flash of light.

And then, the same decaying darkness began to consume his soul too.

But from out of the void came Roku's voice.

"_Don't give up so easily!_"

And once again, everything was black.

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**Southern Air Temple, (Nightfall)**

Khai had the upper hand when it came to hand-to-hand combat.

The advantage of learning all four bending disciplines without even bending them was the ability to read any opponent's next move and strike or counter-attack before that move was given. It worked on Earthbenders, on Firebenders—and because Khai mastered all four bending disciplines—it also worked on the Avatar.

Now, don't get things wrong. Hand-to-hand combat was nice and everything but bending should regularly outmatch it. But Khai had seen Azula's bending and knew that she learned too quickly, too rushed—with no heart in effort—whereas he learned for years in an abandoned cave. Khai's expertise in close-range fighting forced Azula to rely on the element she was most comfortable with: Fire.

And Khai was faster.

Tremendously fast.

"_For—the—record_," Khai spoke. "_I—really—hate—you…_"

Azula shrieked at the comment and made another jump for Khai. The boy nimbly ducked to the side and brushed his knuckles on her brow. A short stabbing blow made Azula stagger back once more.

And then, Azula did something Khai had not seen before.

Azula was beginning to sweat.

Khai smiled. He was getting closer to victory. All he had to do now was not mess it up.

"It's such a shame that you won't be able to see your mother," Azula remarked. "But personally, I don't really care… In fact, you probably don't matter to her at—!"

Khai struck her below the chin.

Scare tactics. Azula was just tempting him to take the bait. Khai knew of course. Azula was throwing everything in her arsenal at him so she could gain control of the situation. But as soon as Azula was deprived of fear and control, her mental faculties would break away.

Azula Earthbended a ripple-like wave on the ground. Small pillars of earth began to move forward in progression. Khai couldn't jump high enough and was hit. But Khai hid his pain and showed only his courage. He was starving Azula from the inside out.

And just as Khai predicted, Azula began to crack.

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~o0o~

.

It didn't happen instantly. First, Khai caught Azula subconsciously twitching her cheek and eyebrow. She was producing excessive amounts of spittle too. Then, Azula began to care less of herself. She didn't care if she looked awful or if she looked ridiculous. Her thinking became single-minded now. All she wanted was to take Khai down.

Khai smiled.

Azula was on the edge of insanity.

But what Khai did not expect was the consequence of bringing Azula to this level of mental instability. Khai would pay the price with his life.

Because Khai did not expect the violence he would unleash.

Without control of herself, Azula was beginning to release all her rage. And without control, Azula would not keep that rage in check. And with uncontrolled rage coming from Azula, the consequences would be dire. The last time Azula slipped into this kind of mental instability, she had nearly destroyed the Royal Palace in a firestorm. And also, once Azula's rage was fixated on one thing, it would not stop.

"_**VRAAAAAIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!**_"

An explosive, raging, blistering firestorm escaped from her mouth and sent Khai flying back. The blue flames had instantly seared his skin. And because he was farther away from his opponent, Khai was apparently useless. He could only fight as long as he was close to his opponent.

"_**VRAAAAAIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!**_"

Khai still had time to run to the side and dodge the blast.

But no.

This time, he ran forward.

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~o0o~

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_I met Khai some weeks ago before all of this Avatar Azula stuff happened._

_He's an amazing kid if he has to._

_You may think he's just a child, but if he has to fight, he fights hard._

_And you wouldn't believe how this kid fights…_

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~o0o~

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Yes. Khai got burned. Yes. Khai's clothing began to burn away. Yes. Third-degree burns began appearing on his skin. Yes. Khai was in serious pain. Yes. Khai was stupid and he was only a child. And yes. Khai was braver than anyone before him.

And when Khai got close enough, he pulled his fist back to send a punch.

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~o0o~

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Then, there was this flash of light. One of the nearby mountains disappeared.

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~o0o~

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Khai may have been a tough fighter, but like all kids, distraction was his flaw. Azula saw Khai's resolve flicker for a second and she took the opportunity to seize the moment. As soon as Khai's punch faltered, she trapped him in earth.

Then, she forced the little child to the ground.

And with much pleasure, Azula pressed Khai's face to the ground with her foot.

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**The Spirit World**

Aang's spirit did not disappear in an instant. Instead, because of him not being a spirit, the light consumed his body slowly—like a person slowly sinking into a pure white quicksand. Already, it had crawled up Aang's feet and ankles and was rising higher but slowly. All around him was white and nothing. The lack of view could have made anyone insane.

But the boy didn't care though.

Already, Aang was falling into a state of apathy—he didn't care about anything at all. Did it matter if he was going to disappear forever? After all, he was already dead. What was the point of fighting it?

Why should he try and fight it?

What made him so important?

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~o0o~

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_The world needs you now…_

_._

_You give people hope…_

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Aang grabbed his head in anger. He gnashed his teeth together and raged.

He was so angry at everything—at his life, at his destiny, at his mission. All he wanted out of life was some normalcy. That wasn't too much to ask. He didn't beg for anything more. He never wanted to play the hero. He never wanted a destiny such as this. He wished he never played a big role in the world.

But he didn't have a choice.

And Aang played his part. He mastered the four elements and confronted the Fire Lord—only, it wasn't over! Aang was so angry. He just couldn't believe that the world would flip so fast. He just hated the fact that the responsibility fell upon the hands of the Avatar.

And Aang watched as his lower torso turned into light.

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~o0o~

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_Look at you…_

_._

_You were a normal Airbender once, in a time of great peace… Suddenly, people tell you that you're the Avatar and they placed this big destiny over your head. You ran away to escape from it all, wanting not to change things…You were forced to grow up fast, to watch as the many people you once loved die and disappear…_

_And then, you set out to impossibly change the world…_

_You saw things no person should ever see—experienced things no child should ever go through…_

_You've suffered and you toiled…_

_The odds were always against you…_

_._

_But here you are…_

_A boy, no older than 12, showing the world your strength, seeking out to save his friends, his loved ones, and all the other faceless people you've never met and the others who despise you…_

_._

_You saved the world, Aang…_

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~o0o~

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Aang's anger turned into burning sadness and guilt. He didn't save the world. He had delayed the inevitable. In the end, the Fire Nation still won and Azula became the Avatar. In the end, Aang was dead.

He was supposed to stop them.

But he couldn't because he was so caught up in revenge. He couldn't think past vengeance. Azula manipulated him and outdid him in every way imaginable. There was no escape from the madness.

Aang had made a mistake.

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~o0o~

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_But, we must not concern ourselves on what was…_

_We must act on what is…_

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~o0o~

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"_I'm sorry, Gyatso…_" Aang croaked. "_It's just so hard to continue… How do I know what I'm fighting for? There's just too many questions… Am I strong enough? How do I know? How do I know that I'm going to win? How can I save the world? How can I stop it all?_"

Aang's shoulders disappeared in light.

"_How can I possibly know…?_"

Tears began to trickle down his face.

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~o0o~

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_Life is like this dark tunnel…_

_You may not always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you keep moving…_

_You will come to a better place…_

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~o0o~

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"But there's no point in continuing is there?" Aang asked himself. "After all, I'm already dead… And now, I'm not only about to die, but I'm about to disappear forever… And the world will disappear forever too…

"It's all over…"

And the light started to crawl up his face.

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~o0o~

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_You must never be afraid of death…_

_Never let it consume you…_

_I am not saying that death isn't something to fear—I mean, who isn't afraid to die?_

_But to face death squarely—to laugh at the face of death—now that is something amazing… Because death has a mission too. Death's mission is to break you—break you so that the only result will be death itself… But when you laugh at the face of death—when you challenge it—then you have defeated death's mission…_

_._

_Because if death cannot break you, then death cannot take you…_

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~o0o~

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Aang let it all go.

He observed as the light covered up both his eyes. And as the light consumed him, his hope disappeared along with it. And once that was gone, the light moved more quickly and started to cover the arrow on his head.

It was all over now.

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~o0o~

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_Don't give up so easily…_

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~o0o~

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And Aang disappeared completely.

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**Southern Air Nomad Territory, Central Islands, (Nightfall)**

When Toph crashed the two airships together in midair, she thought she was going down with the rest of the crew. It was her belief that it was the most honorable way to die. But the collision between the two airships had destroyed one but the other was just seriously damaged. So, in all the commotion, Toph jumped to the surviving airship and quickly gained control. With Metalbending as her weapon, Toph took on the entire crew of the other airship and had them either thrown overboard or stuck between metal panelings.

But Toph didn't subdue all of them though. She kept one crew member alive: the pilot.

"_We can't go that far!_" exclaimed the pilot. "_Can't you see that you severely damaged the ship's outer hull? We're leaking hot air outside because of the hole you made! If we don't land now, we could—!_"

"Look, pretty boy," Toph intoned. "Right now, I don't really care how far we have to go, but right now, flying beats walking. I'm not really asking for much. All I want you to do is bring this ship towards the air temple. There's nothing complicated about it."

The pilot nodded apprehensively and turned the wheel to the left.

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~o0o~

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Sokka climbed aboard Appa's saddle and immediately reached over to Suki. Suki and Sokka held each other for a moment. Sokka then said, "You sure took your sweet time…"

Suki laughed and placed the bison whistle back into Sokka's bleeding hand. "I'm sorry… I was just rattled… It took me hours before I got the nerve to climb back up on Appa to get back to you… I just wanted some time for myself… How's your hand?"

Sokka looked at his hand. "Nothing a piece of cloth and some herbs won't do… Plus, my sister can heal this up in a hurry…"

"So," Suki began. "What do we do now?"

Sokka looked up. "We help Aang."

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~o0o~

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Zuko was rushing towards the Southern Air Temple, flying high above the waters below. He was a shining symbol of freedom as he flew about. And as he approached to one of the mountainsides, he thought about the last few words his uncle had said to him.

_Restore the Fire Nation to its former glory… And come back when you can…_

Zuko was going to see his uncle again. That was a promise.

And Zuko shot forward once more. A short burst of white fire propelled him faster. It was good to know what exactly he was fighting for.

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~o0o~

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Katara got on Ummi's saddle with the help of Haru. Already, the Waterbender had calmed down. She began brushing her hair. Her eyes were brighter now. She had been picked up the moment she rose back to consciousness. Haru came back for her and the two sped away after destroying the airship.

"Do you think we should go and get Toph?" asked Haru.

Katara shook her head. "I saw her on a nearby airship. She's doing fine."

Katara smiled. Things were turning out well now.

But then her heart stopped.

There was a sharp crack that echoed all the way to her ears. Katara had only a few milliseconds to see the last strays of lightning disappear from the Southern Temple in the distance. From then on, Katara knew that something was terribly wrong. Something had happened on the temple—something unspeakably horrible. The sensation took over her body and told her to go. Aang was in trouble.

"_Haru!_" Katara instructed, "_To the temple!_"

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**Southern Air Temple, (Nightfall)**

Zhao was ready to intervene.

When Khai came in and started to take Azula down, Zhao was more than tempted to get down there and do something. But he believed that the moment was not right. But now, things were coming together. With Azula the victor over the young boy, it was time Zhao came in.

This was it.

It was time Zhao became the Avatar.

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~o0o~

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Aang blinked his eyes twice before it dawned on him that he was alive. To his surprise, he felt no pain on his body. There was a blackened scar on his chest, but the pain had disappeared long ago it seemed. He sat up and shook his head, bringing himself back to reality.

Had it all been a dream?

It seemed most likely that he had been dreaming—that the lightning blast had caused some sort of delusion to make him think he was in the spirit world fighting for his life. And maybe even the fatal blast of the lightning bolt was a dream because Aang felt strong and energized again.

But whether or not it was a dream, there was no denying it.

Aang was back.

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	25. The Avatar Spirit

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Book 4

_Air_

Chapter twenty-five:

_The Avatar_ _Spirit_

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**Southern Air Nomad Territory, Approaching the central islands, (late evening)**

"WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS WHY'_IN THE WORLD_' DID THIS WHOLE THING TAKE SO LONG!"

The sudden outburst no longer made General Shu's subordinates jump. When their next meeting had begun, they knew something was wrong immediately—even without looking at General Shu's face. Orders had been sent out hours ago. These orders concerned themselves on a large organization of warships on the eastern front of the archipelago—the same place where the intruders had slipped in with their airplanes. Although these warships were concentrating themselves there, they moved far too slow for the general's taste. So, when a meeting was called by the general, they were already expecting the worst.

"I feel like I've been in this _single_ meeting room for hours!" General Shu shouted, enraged. "How long does it take to assemble a fleet of ships _anyway?_"

A lieutenant boldly spoke forward. "Sir, despite the delay, everything's here. We have seven large ships already in formation, moving towards the Southern Air Temple with much haste. Other officers have already heard the call and are redirecting their attention to the eastern front of the armada. Everything has been going according to plan."

"Yes," followed another subordinate. "If anything else, we couldn't be in any better shape. The two ships that have attacked us as a diversion in the south have been captured and the enemy air fleet has been reduced to nothing. Furthermore, with the enemy in the very center of the archipelago, they are now trapped in the middle of our armada. _Our enemies have no escape_."

The general was willing to call the subordinate's bluff.

"Are you willing to bet everything on that claim, sergeant?" asked General Shu.

The subordinate hesitated and backed away.

"And suppose," added General Shu, "that somehow, our enemies might just win this battle."

"Unthinkable!" said the Lieutenant.

"_Impossible!_" said another.

"I don't see how."

"It's possible, but we've done everything we could do to stop them!"

"_They're surrounded! They have no way out!_"

It was on this note that General Shu sighed. He was being too hard on his comrades. Suppose they were right. It was time the man had some peace of mind. It was time that he took some confidence in his subordinates. The day was already a long one for him. He had worked his men to the bone and it was only right for him to recognize their efforts.

"Alright," General Shu conceded. "But this is no time to get cocky in battle. I want all of you to remember that. Secondly, I want to go back to that earlier problem I stated. Have we caught up with them? The Sky-Bison—are we still on its trail…?"

"We're tailing them as we speak, sir," spoke on officer. "They tried to outrun us earlier by flying over an island, but we managed to track them through this gorge. I've already ordered the men to prepare two catapults. The target's in our site, sir. All that's left are your orders."

General Shu stood up. And with this action, he had concluded the meeting. Everyone stood up along with him and bowed in respect. When the others were dismissed, the general walked over to the official.

"Tell the men to prepare for firing. Lead me to the bridge."

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~o0o~

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General Shu lowered the spyglass and set his vision for the night sky. Against the backdrop of stars and darkness, there was this large shadow that seemed misplaced among them. It was a creature that had somehow managed the ability to break gravity despite its size. The general turned to one of his subordinates. "Give me the altitude of the target?"

"There's no precise reading, sir," said one of the officers. "But we've estimated the creature to be flying fairly low—probably out of exhaustion. I would say the target's about thirty to forty feet high."

"What about alignments?" the general asked.

"We've set both the catapults to the right angles. Inclinations were hard to make due to the evening sky, but it's done."

General Shu nodded. "Hold your position and keep her steady." The general raised the spyglass back to his eyes and trained it at the animal. A tense feeling came over him. He didn't want to fail this time. "Can the target manage to escape us this time? Can they fly out of range?"

A navigator spoke up. "No, sir. Not this time. It seems that the animal's riders have stepped into their own trap. By passing through this gorge, they have imprisoned themselves in it. Also, the night has cloaked us for the moment. This also allows us the element of surprise."

General Shu understood what he was talking about. Using the spyglass, the general could see the high walls of the gorge at both sides. These high walls had been cut clean through by the water centuries ago, creating a deep and narrow slipway between islands. The pass was so narrow that the fleet of ships General Shu commandeered was forced to travel in tight pairs of twos as they sped towards the Southern Air Temple. The surrounding high walls of the gorge were so high that clouds blocked the view of the top. Their target would be forced to fly straight with no escape.

General Shu smiled. He was satisfied. He finally got them.

"Tell the soldiers to '_ignite_'," said the general finally.

Below them, the general could see the two catapults that had been raised just for this very occasion. Two large boulders covered with a thick layer of tar had been mounted on the catapults. Firebenders for each catapult had heard the order and acted. A small flame ignited the tar. Near bystanders stepped back from the heat and light the fireballs were making.

"Sir," said a Lieutenant. "The target has noticed us. They're trying to gain speed."

General Shu nodded. But with nowhere to go and nowhere to hide, the creature was defenseless wherever it went. And its exhaustion would also get the better of it. Now, with the final decision on his hands, General Shu was ready to make the ultimate move. And after a few seconds thinking and a moment of dramatic tension between officers, the General gave the order.

"_Fire!_"

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~o0o~

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"_They're back!_" Katara shouted as she realized who was tailing them. "_Those Fire Nation ships are right behind us! Haru, they just fired at us! We need to move faster!_"

Haru was urging Ummi to move faster, but Ummi could no longer increase her speed. She was tired and sore from flying all over the place. And where could they possibly go? They were surrounded from the sides and going up would be futile. "_Ummi can't take it! She's exhausted!_"

"_And I've got no water!_" Katara reasoned. "_I can't fight back!_"

Haru decided to act. "_Here! Help me up! I think I can stop it!_"

Katara grabbed onto Haru's hands and pulled him up to the saddle from his sitting position on Ummi's neck. But Katara knew that deep in her heart, Haru would be too late to help anyone. It felt like those fireballs had taken too much time in trying to get here. By the time Haru would get into an Earthbending position, those three fireballs would have struck them.

And indeed Katara was right. The three fireballs were already by their tails.

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~o0o~

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General Shu narrowed his vision so he could see the strike from his viewpoint. "The fireballs are right on path. I'm expecting a large fire display in a few moments."

It was going to be a glorious hit. There was no doubt about that. The three fireballs were in perfect alignment. The first two were a lot more forward than the third. The third one was straggling behind them, but was right in the middle.

Then, one of the officers approached the general.

"Sir," said the officer. "Something's wrong…"

General Shu turned to the officer. "What is?"

"We only set up two catapults… Where did the third fireball come from?"

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~o0o~

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Zuko caught up to the two fireballs just in time. But his earlier intention was not to catch up to the fireballs, but rather, to catch up to his friends. But when he saw that Ummi was being targeted, he acted quickly but quietly. He hugged the cliff sides on his approach and made his way beside the leading ship. When the catapults fired, Zuko once again shot to the skies, using the night sky to cloak him for a moment.

And now that he was beside these two fireballs, Zuko could stop them.

The young Firebender extended his two fingers from both his hands in direction to the fireballs. With a strong and powerful white spurt, the fireballs broke apart by the sheer concussion of impact. The strength of the hit forced both fireballs to split ways and collide with the surrounding cliff-faces.

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~o0o~

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General Shu watched in horror as the two fireballs crashed on the surrounding cliff-faces. And that wasn't even the end of the impact. The fireballs hit the surrounding cliff-faces so hard that the mountain shook off any loose or fragmented pieces. A landslide was born from the collision and made its way down the cliff side.

And right in the way of that landslide was the general's ship.

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~o0o~

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Another impact was created.

This time, the hull of the lead ship was bombarded with all sorts of mountain debris. Soldiers and seamen were jumping overboard. The creaking noise of rock and metal echoed throughout the pass. Ships that followed behind them came to an abrupt halt.

And as the dust cleared, a monstrous form appeared before the approaching fleet.

In the place of an open, yet narrow, pass was now a low wall of rock. It could easily be walked over, but a ship was an entirely different story.

No one was going through.

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~o0o~

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The last thing General Shu saw of the target was that the third "_fireball_" had somehow caught up with it. It was then that the general realized that that was no fireball. It was something else.

Then, General Shu looked at the remains of his ship. The large warship he had been standing on had its front hull pounded with boulders of all shapes and sizes. A raging anger began to come over him again. He turned to his first officer and nearly screamed his head off.

"_GIVE ME A STATUS REPORT IMMEDIATELY! I want to know who're hurt! I want to know the extensive damage to the ship! Give me data, now! Stop staring into space and move!_" barked the general.

"Sir!" shouted an orderly who appeared from the deck. "The hull's been pierced in multiple areas. We've got water filling in the storage area! It won't be a while before the ship takes on too much water, but we need to move fast and evacuate the crew onto the rafts!"

"Can we clear the rubble and get the ship out?" General Shu asked, desperate to be on the move again.

"I'm afraid it's too late, sir!" said the orderly. "The ship's far too damaged for recovery! The best we can do is clear out and move as fast as we can!"

General Shu was far too desperate to look the other way. He looked forward and stared at the fallen debris that had sealed off the pass. "What about the rest of the ships? Can they pass through? Is there a way we can move straight ahead without compromising direction?"

The navigator answered this time. "I'm afraid not sir. It may look like the rubble didn't block much of the pass, but trust me… it's just the tip of the iceberg. Any ship that passes through will have its hull grazed. It's best if we find another route to the temple. Clearing the path would also take hours to do. We're not going through this way."

General Shu slammed his fist on a metal wall and cursed. And as he did so again, he stared out into the dark and starry night, at the large flying animal that had just escaped their clutches once again. They weren't going to get away so easily. Pretty soon, they would make their way around the pass and the enemy would have nowhere to run to.

All it took was a matter of time.

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**Fire Nation, Royal Palace, (late evening)**

"_When I imagined your return…_" Ozai spoke, "_I imagined it to be less…brutal…_"

The tip of Ursa's sword was inches from Ozai's chest as she swung and sliced methodically. She weaved her weapon around her opponent with so much grace and flow that the two appeared to look like they were in some form of dance. Ozai was taking serious precautions to steer clear of Ursa's blade. But in a way, he was mocking her too. Ozai had the reflexes to jump all the way back and avoid all of Ursa's attempts to kill him. Instead, he stayed close—choosing to be flighty and in doing so, teasing her for her seemingly futile efforts.

But Ozai had to admit that Ursa had changed a lot since he last met her. She was indeed putting up a fight. "_I can see that you've learned to fight… You must have learned how to brandish a sword during your absence…_"

Ursa slashed again. This time, she tore some loose cloth off of Ozai's sleeve. "Don't mock me," she said.

"_Actually_," interrupted a third party—Piandao to be precise. The man cut in between the two of them and tried to hit the man on the foot. As fate would have it, Piandao missed, but that didn't mean it didn't scare the wits out of the Fire Lord. "I helped her with that…" Piandao finished.

Ozai stepped back to take a good look at the man. "I'm sorry… Who are you again…?"

Piandao smiled and shrugged. "I'm a family friend…"

And then, Ursa swung again. This time, she used Piandao's distraction and made another step forward. Ozai was able to avoid the blade again, but not completely. This time, a sharp and almost minute sting shivered from his cheek. He had been scratched. And it wasn't even over. Piandao used his own broadsword to attack too—barely missing Ozai's right thigh.

"Give it up, Ozai," Ursa suggested. "You're clearly outnumbered…"

Ozai wouldn't have any of that, so he took on a short offensive, using a small fire blast to force Ursa to step aside. But Ursa had more than one guardian angel and Iroh was one of them. Iroh appeared beside her and blocked the attack with a fiery concoction of his own. The resulting clash of fiery forces created a stalemate and forced both sides back.

Iroh gave Ozai a stern brotherly look.

"Not only outnumbered, but _outmatched_ as well…" said the wise veteran.

Ozai gritted his teeth and stared at the two other intruders. "Both of you stay out of this! _This is between the two of us_!"

And without warning, the Fire Lord unleashed a powerful and fatal blast of fire that shot out from both of the man's fists. Iroh didn't have any firepower that could much this one. The ensuing fireballs were aimed at Iroh and Piandao. Following the fireball was a large explosion that immediately forced the ceiling to collapse in of itself. Some support beams collapsed under both heat and pressure. The throne room had turned into a giant furnace.

Iroh and Piandao were quickly blown out of the way. They weren't dead or gravely injured. They were just out of the action.

And Ursa was physically shaken. She was there, standing between the two fireballs which were inches from her face. Ozai had spared her for some reason. And out of instinct, she had dropped her weapon and fallen to her knees, placing her hands over her head in protection.

And when the fireball dissipated and the heat disappeared, Ursa could do nothing but cower in fear as she stared into the manic eyes of Ozai.

The Fire Lord approached her with a nice little smile.

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~o0o~

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Ursa backed away, crawling in reverse. She couldn't get far due to the fire that was surrounding her from all sides. She couldn't defend herself either as the sword she had clumsily dropped wasn't anywhere near her. She _could _try and make a grab for it, but unfortunately, the Fire Lord was a lot closer to her than the sword…and she doubted the man would give her any chance of fighting back. She could tell from that look in his eyes.

Ozai saw the wild look of fear on Ursa's face and smiled even more.

"_Oh no! _You've got me all wrong…" Ozai consoled. "I'm not going to hurt you! Why would I do _that_? I'll only do so if you give me a reason or a need to do so… But right now, I just want to talk…"

Ursa backed away further. Her face masked desperation furiously. The woman was sweating furiously—and not just because of the raging flames that burned all around her.

"What I want to know is _why_…" Ozai intoned. "_You_ were the one who came here looking for a fight… And you were the one who started it… But I can't understand why… This isn't like you at all…"

"_I've changed!_" Ursa spat. "_I'm not the same woman you once knew!_"

Ozai smiled that manic smile of his. "And that's where you'll have to forgive me because, in all fairness, I couldn't have imagined you being _anything_ other than the same woman who pushed me up to the throne years ago. It's just so _strange_ seeing you like this—seeing you as an exact opposite of the image you used to be before you left this palace. You're a completely different person!"

"_You know why I'm doing this!_" Ursa shouted as she backed away more. She tried her hardest to lift herself from this degrading crawling position, but her shaking bones would not let her. "_I've come here because you're out of control! Look what you've done to our children!_"

Ozai laughed.

"Of course," mused the man. "You're doing this for the children… But even that doesn't convince me… There's more to it…"

"The answer's simple enough!" Ursa shouted. "Haven't you seen the face of your son lately?—and your eldest at that! In my absence, you challenged him to an Agni Kai—all because he had an _opinion_! Iroh told me all of this! Can't you see what you've done? Is your pride so huge and your quest for power so blinding that you've forgotten to see the pain in his eyes? He's your _son!_ And I entrusted his life to you!"

Ozai kneeled before Ursa and stared her in the eyes. "You can't just come home after a few years and start acting like you belonged here, like you have the _right_ to question my authority! This isn't like you at all!"

"Then who am I supposed to be?" Ursa questioned angrily.

"No. no," Ozai contradicted. "You see, the woman I knew, the woman that stood by my side, the woman I had come to know as Princess Ursa… she wasn't one to question my authority… Princess Ursa understood my demands and met them head on. She was the extraordinary example of a diligent wife and a caring mother—someone every man wanted out of their spouse…

"And when you found out of my ambitions—of my plans to becoming Fire Lord—you understood me… In fact, you were the one who chose to act upon it. You were the one who proposed the plan to effectively take my father out of the way. You were always loyal to me—to the ways of the Fire Nation. And now, here you are, being the complete opposite of what you used to stand for. This isn't you _at all!_ You used to see the _world_ the same way I did!

"So tell me, what happened in all those years of your absence? Why the sudden change of heart?"

Ursa looked away, thinking of all the truth that Ozai had said. Ozai was indeed correct. She had developed compromises so she could spare her children but still be able to push her husband to the throne. So, why the sudden change of heart?

Ursa thought of her years of banishment—of the times spent when she was on the run. She thought of the time she found that hidden sanctuary in the western side of the Earth Kingdom. Then she remembered Khai, the boy she had taken in as her own. Her eyes were opened to the truth that day.

"_Why the sudden change of heart?_" Ozai demanded. "Tell me!"

"Because," Ursa answered, "there was a sudden change of world…"

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**Southern Air Temple, lower mountainside, (late evening)**

Sokka's heart was thumping in his ears. He was so tightly wound that a mere scare could have thrown him off Appa. But no one could blame Sokka for trying to slow down his heart. He tried, but it didn't work. Sweat trickled down his forehead and arms. The noisy blasts of winds that literally smacked his face were unending. They were traveling so fast and so high that even holding on was hard to do.

But there was this amazing ferocity despite his trembling. Suki could feel it through his hand. Despite the wounds and slices on his left hand, she could still feel Sokka deep beneath it. He was trembling, of course—so was she. But Sokka's nerves were fine-tuned—like steel. There was this glint of light that shined through his eyes.

"_We can't let it come near the temple!_" Sokka shouted, though his words could barely compete with the scalding thrashes of wind. "_If it reaches there, Aang will have no chance against Azula!_"

Suki understood completely but had reservations of their actions. "_But we can't possibly stop them by ourselves! We don't have any explosives!_"

"_We'll improvise!_"

Suki swallowed hard as she gave Sokka's face a full look. Suki knew that improvising was Sokka's last attempt at saving things. Though there were a number of times he did improvise instead of planning ahead, Suki was always there to pick up the slack and even sometimes, save his life. But she trusted Sokka. Now, Suki felt that Sokka needed to knew that she was going to support him all the way.

"_You can feel it, can't you…?_"

Sokka kept his eyes at the target. "_What do you mean…?_"

"_Today! This day! The sound of drums and the adrenaline rushing! Our hearts are beating faster! Our minds are saying, '__this is it__'! We know there's no going back now! And whatever happens, whatever comes next, we all know that this day would be life-changing. And we're all going to see this through!_"

Sokka tightened his grip on Suki's hand. And the young warrior smiled.

Despite their fears and apprehensions, these two had a lot going for them. From both of their point of views, this task didn't seem so large. It was only the pace that made the ordeal heart-stopping. And even from the ground, an observer would see them as merely a speedy dot battling through devilish currents to approach their target.

But destiny often had a funny way of changing everyone's view of things—making these two appear larger than life.

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~o0o~

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The two had seen it approaching from the mountainside. How it had slipped through their measures didn't matter anymore. What they decided to do was take control of the situation and act. But how they were going to stop it and the soldiers from within was still unknown. That didn't stop them, of course. To secure Aang's one-on-one battle with Azula meant that neither had to be disturbed. Helping Aang was the important thing right now. They had to stop this thing.

"_Can you make out its features?_" Sokka shouted. "_I can see it a lot clearly now! The airship looks heavily damaged!_"

Suki couldn't agree more. Afar, it had been a menacing picture. The black steel and its size had intimidated them and the two thought that these large monsters wouldn't get through. But now that they were near it, they could see that it was heavily damaged and floating in some poor state. The ship's large bulk had a number of dents on them. This was also another reason why the ship was flying lower than one would expect. The largest one had gone all the way through and steam was released from its interior, allowing the ship to trail the sky with smoke. The metal platform of the airship was crumpled up and folded.

And the airship was absolutely abandoned.

"_There's no one in it!_" shouted Suki—her words barely made it to Sokka's ears due to the wind. "_Looks like someone's did our work for us!_"

Sokka shook his head and made Appa fly very close to the ship's hull. Then, he took out his space sword and sliced clean through the metal. The sparks that flew off the blade were wild and the rhythm of Sokka's cutting was so clear that it sounded like the blade was singing. This new opening released even more steam into the air.

"_It's worse than you think!_" Sokka explained. "_This whole thing is carrying piles of bombs in its cargo hold! And it looks like this thing is headed for the Air Temple! If it reaches it and crashes, that whole stack could explode! We can't let it reach there!_"

Suki nodded. "_So, do you want me to get onboard and drop the bombs?_"

Sokka shook his head. "_Even if we drop the bombs, this whole thing's going to make it to the temple and crash there! Aang can't be distracted! What we have to do now is make sure the whole thing doesn't reach the temple! We'll have to make it go down!_"

Suki nodded and they spoke of their plans. Sokka would continue slicing holes through the ship's hull and make it drop from the sky. Suki would get onboard the platform and maneuver the airship into a nosedive, making it crash slowly and into a place where it would cause nobody harm. Once Suki sabotaged the controls to make sure nothing would deter its path, the two would go back and resume plans to help Aang.

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~o0o~

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Suki got to the control room quickly. She had been on a ship like this before and that meant she knew her way around. Also, she had controlled an airship and that would make her job easy. Looking out the main view port, she could see that they were approaching the mountain.

Without taking another second, Suki began switching controls. By raising a nearby lever, Suki had angled the airship downwards, forcing it into a steep dive. Next, she lowered another lever. By lowering this one, Suki had stopped the engines of the airship, slowing the whole thing down. This way, the crash of the airship would be far gentler than had it crashed on its own. Finally, Suki moved the steering wheel to the left, aligning it with the mountain's beach—the landing spot.

Suki wiped her forehead. _Now to leave this thing on its own…_

Quickly, Suki broke all the controls and used some rope to hold the ship's steering wheel in place. After this job was done, she was ready to leave.

"_Suki…?_"

When the young Kyoshi warrior turned around, she realized that the airship wasn't as abandoned as she thought.

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~o0o~

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"_You have no idea what it was like all alone,_" Toph rambled on. "I thought I was just crazy when I thought it was you! I hid in the bomb bay just to be safe and I would have attacked you if I didn't think it was you. But it was _you!_ And you don't know how happy I am to see you—_not literally, of course…_"

Even if she seemed bored by this ranting, Suki couldn't help but stare at Toph's blackened face. "You _had_ to burn your eyes…?"

Toph punched her on the arm. "Don't even _start_ with that."

"Where is everybody?" Suki asked. "What happened here?"

"Toph happened," said the blind Earthbender. "After messing with my eyes, I knew that I had to find another way to get to the Southern Air Temple. But none of them wanted me to control the ship. I had to do something. Most of those soldiers jumped to another ship and the pilot I forced to take me to the temple jumped off a little while back because he couldn't stand me."

"He just threw himself off…?" asked Suki.

"Not really," said Toph. "He landed on the top of a nearby mountain, I think…"

Suddenly, Sokka ran up to them from out of nowhere. He had this ecstatic look on his face. The boy was just brimming with exciting news.

"GUESS WHO I—_Toph…?_" The surprise cut off his excitement completely. "What happened to your face? And how did you get on this ship?" Sokka turned to Suki. "What's going on here?"

"It's a long story," said Toph with a smile.

"_Believe me_," Suki said. "It is."

This earned another punch from Toph. The young girl just smiled at both of them. "So, what were you going to say?" Toph said to Sokka. Sokka just smiled at her and lead them both out of the ship. For some reason, Toph felt that nearly all her friends were here and that Sokka, by chance, found them.

"_Guess who I found…?_" Sokka asked again.

The trio stepped onto the platform to find that Katara, Haru, and Zuko, waving at them. (Except Toph, of course. She had to wait till any of the three spoke.)

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~o0o~

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The large airship slowly dropped from its height and careened towards the base of the mountain. And as this large behemoth fell out of the sky, two Sky Bison moved forward, gaining speed. The wind was beating their faces. They were almost complete. Zuko, Sokka, Katara, Toph, Suki, Haru—with Haru being the least included. They were _almost_ complete.

There was only one left.

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**Southern Air Temple, (late evening)**

Zhao watched from his point of view. Things were getting _complicated_… Aang's survival from Azula's lightning strike had irreversibly setting his plans back. Aang had done come back from the dead just like he did. And now, Azula would fight him again. That would mean a longer battle—one Zhao could no longer stomach. He was _so _close. Azula would have gone too far by then.

Zhao's plans were in jeopardy.

He couldn't forget how many times he was close to victory. There was the time when he planned to take the world by storm by setting traitors in each of the enemy camps. The plan had been rendered useless by Zuko when he set a traitor within his own group and therefore had warned the other leaders early on. The ambush had been incomplete. The only consolation was Azula becoming the Avatar. Another time when he was close to victory was when he had the spirit of the moon in the palm of his hands. He remembered how high he had climbed that day and how far he had fallen in much the same manner.

.

~o0o~

.

_I am a legend now! The Fire Nation will for generations tell stories about the great Admiral Zhao…who darkened the moon! They will call me, 'Zhao the Conqueror'! 'Zhao the Moon Slayer'! Zhao... the invincible!_

.

~o0o~

.

Zhao placed a hand to his face and groaned. That was the moment of his greatest defeat—and his demise. He had embarrassed himself in front of the world. He had underestimated everyone. He had been betrayed by Iroh (though this was to be expected). And the Avatar used all its power to destroy a large amount of his naval fleet. In the end, his life had been taken away from him.

That was his single greatest regret.

A spurt of anger rocketed through Zhao's soul. This was the same anger that had been carried with him through death. This was the anger that drove him to find ways to return to the world and exact his revenge. He had sworn he would find ways or _leverages_ to defeat the Avatar. That's what prompted him to search for Airbender clues in the first place. That's what prompted him to use Azula.

Because Zhao had always dreamed of becoming invincible.

And he had nearly succeeded. The attempt to claim the Moon Spirit's life was merely his first try at becoming a legend. Now, Zhao was about to try again. His second attempt was nearly complete. It would have worked too—but then, the complications arrived.

He would have to find another way for his plan to work.

And while thinking of a new plan, Zhao recalled one of the conversations he had with the former Fire Lord.

.

.

.

.

.

"_Azula's attack on Ba Sing Se disturbs me greatly," spoke Ozai. "I want you to investigate deep into it… But make sure you draw no attention to yourself… Azula will know when someone is sniffing around her… This may force a setback… Plans will have to be changed… My trust on her is beginning to falter…"_

_Zhao nodded. "It may be the pressure, sir…" Zhao suggested. "Having all that power must have forced her to crack…"_

"_I'm thinking of the same thing…" Ozai agreed. "This is very unfortunate… We are coming to the last stage of our plans… I cannot trouble myself with these matters… I'm thinking of placing Azula in your care…"_

"_I fully understand," Zhao spoke. "If you will let me, I will take this responsibility… After all, you and your people were the ones who brought me back from the grave… But suppose that my investigation confirms Azula's incapability to fight due to her deteriorating mental health, what shall I do…?"_

_Ozai looked Zhao in the eyes and placed both his hands on the spirit-man's shoulders. "I trust you will know what to do… I've trusted you well enough on countless occasions… I placed my faith in you than I did to my own son. That's why I promoted you to Admiral at the time and gave you priority to capture the Avatar even when my own son had been on his trail… I suspect the same thing from you now…"_

_Zhao smiled. This was everything he wanted to hear and more._

_Ozai caught this smile. "Ah… I can see that you've been waiting for a chance like this to come by… And from that look in your eye, I can see that you've been determined to do it ever since you came back… Very well, I will grant you the responsibility… But what I'd like to know is 'how'… If Azula does fall short, how do you plan to fight for me when you cannot bend any element…? Even with your ability to give people the power to bend energy, you cannot possibly use it yourself…"_

_Zhao smiled. "That's true, but you see, sir, I've had this theory…"_

.

.

.

.

.

**Southern Air Temple, Upper mountainside, (late evening**)

_Argh! Stop! Control yourself and breathe! Think of a way out! Argh! My leg! I have to be careful not to move that… I have to keep moving down… That's the only way I'll escape… Azula can't find me yet… I'll need to regain my strength… I need to find a way down… She can't find me… Argh! My heart!_

Aang clutched his chest and his eyes went wild. His vision was dizzying and a splotched mix of black and white. His tired body was drenched in a thick coating of sweat. The more he panicked, the more his heart jolted and stopped. He could still feel the lightning there, like it was trapped in his chest. The scar on his chest still seemed to be hot and searing. Aang couldn't cool it down.

And then, Aang slipped.

"_Argh!_"

Aang's hand grabbed a jutting rock out of instinct. The strain on his arm muscles felt like they were going to snap like tight pieces of string. That sudden strain also forced his heart on the edge. It was beating out of order now—like an animal thrashing in a cage. Aang grabbed his chest and tried to hold it all in.

"_Was that you, Airbender…? I'm coming down…_"

Aang squeezed his eyes shut, hoping all of this was just a nightmare. But every time he opened them, they were the same things. He was here, dangling with one hand on a rock, in the middle of the night, surrounded by bottomless clouds, on the upper mountainside of his home, trying to get away from Azula as she chased him down the mountain. Every time he opened his eyes, it was always the same nightmare.

"_Be strong…_" Aang whispered to himself.

"_I can hear you, Airbender… You're thinking too loud…_"

Aang felt his right foot catch on a good hold on the cliff side. He extended it further with some Earthbending and he made a small ledge. More sweat trickled down his forehead. Aang held two more rocks and he restarted his descent of the mountain.

Things had changed since he woke up. When he woke up, he didn't know exactly how strong he was. He _did_ feel strong. But, of course, Azula had fatally wounded him with her lightning strike. Just because he was strong didn't mean there weren't any repercussions. The scar on his chest was one. And since most of the lightning was released through his body, he had to take a blow. His left leg took it for him as it was now limp and in pain.

And Aang knew that Azula would find out his return. He couldn't face her head-on in this condition. He had to hide somewhere and regain his strength. Climbing down the mountain would be his only way out.

"_There you are!_"

Even with the thick clouds surrounding the mountain and the darkness of night, it wasn't hard to make out Azula's silhouette a few feet above him. She was watching him like a person would to a prize—and she looked like she won it.

"I'm really surprised," Azula noted with a sinister smile. "You're not angry at all… After what I did, I thought you'd go into a mad rage or something."

Aang truly wasn't angry. He felt calm—like his old self again. "Revenge isn't going to help me win this battle between us. Just because you attempted to take my life doesn't mean I should hold a grudge…_even if it is the second time_… I'm the kind of person who forgives easily…"

"I wasn't talking about you," Azula laughed. "I was referring to Khai."

Aang fell quiet for a moment

"Revenge isn't going to help me," Aang repeated, though he did tighten his fists more. When he spoke, he kept his voice even. "All I want now is for you to stop what you're doing and fix things so that everything will be right again. I just want the balance restored… You're the only one who can do that… That's why I'm asking…no…_begging _you to help me set things right…"

"You have no idea how ridiculous you sound right now," Azula laughed. "You keep thinking that all people are like you—that people could actually _change_ and turn away from their former lives… That you and your friends have the _right_ way of doing things."

"It happened to Zuko…" Aang pointed out.

Azula laughed again. "If you noticed, I'm more like my father… We have our own set of standards and ideals… We know what needs to be done and what to do to get there… We have a vision for the world… And Zuko didn't see it all the way through. He followed father out of admiration and not respect… That's why father had to teach him a lesson. That's why Zuko got burned."

"I've talked with your father," Aang remarked. "And trust me... You're making the same mistakes he did."

"A man like my father doesn't make any mistakes," Azula defended. "In fact, he planned all these things from the beginning… In case he failed, he appointed me to stay behind and take his place… He used Zhao to give me the power to take away the Avatar Spirit. It was a brilliant plan and all of you fell for it."

Azula then took the moment to shoot a giant blast of blue fire from her wrist. Aang was able enough to limp to another part of the mountainside, albeit lower and less steep. He did it while barely missing the attack.

"And what does that make you in his plan?" Aang questioned as he caught his breath. "You're just his pawn then… You're nothing but a tool to him."

Azula attacked again, but she missed once more. "Don't twist things with me, Airbender… I acknowledged my role here and I did my part as was instructed… I learned all four elements and mastered them to some degree… And now, I'm tasked with the mission of removing you—no matter how many times I have to shoot you with lightning…"

"You've got to look beyond your '_precious_ vision' here!" Aang shouted. "You're father is using you!"

Another blast of blue fire missed Aang by the inches.

"And does it even _matter?_" Azula laughed. "So what? I did the same thing for my father on the day of the eclipse. I took the blunt of your attacks and allowed the Fire Lord to remain untouched. I'm not looking for my father's admiration. I am like my father, after all. And I agree with him completely. You have to be out of the way…

"And I guess Khai was very useful after all. The boy did me a favor by teaching me Airbending. Now I know everything there is to know about controlling the air. And my last lightning strike did help me with taking you down… Look at you! You can barely walk with one leg—much less fight me!"

And with that, Azula finished her point with a small circular sweeping maneuver and aimed her two fingers at Aang.

_**ZRAAACK!**_

Aang evaded this attack once again with Airbending—jumping from this side to another. But the damage of Azula's attack was great. Her lightning blast shaved right through a large bump on the mountain—a spot where Aang had been. All the boulders along the way were pulverized and turned into dust and rubble.

"_Argh!_" Aang cried out in pain. He clutched his chest once more, trying his hardest to soothe it.

"Ha!" Azula mocked. "You can't walk, can't run… You've got one hand on your chest, which means that you'll only have one hand left to fight with… You're perfectly in the wrong _position!_"

And a large, screaming fireball came rushing towards Aang.

.

~o0o~

.

Aang was still struggling to keep up with his heart. If his heart was beating faster, he had to slow down. When it was beating at a much lesser pace, Aang had to speed up to avoid wasting precious time. Every attack Azula sent him, forced Aang to counter it with as little effort as he could. Airbending was his common ground, so he used that. But Azula was right. She knew every trick he threw at her.

But not all skills could be learned.

And suddenly, Aang found a way to escape quickly without hurting his left leg. And, Azula could not possibly relate to what he was going to do.

Aang shouted at her. "You may think you know me so well, Azula, but you don't… You may think you know everything about Airbending, but there's more to it too… Airbending isn't just a piece of knowledge that can be exploited. There are some things you'll have to learn for yourself—!"

_**ZRAAACK!!!**_

The lightning blast struck the space in front of Aang. A large cloud of dust appeared as an effect. To Azula, it seemed like the lightning struck him. But there was no cry of pain or no falling sound. There was just the sound of the wind and the howling of the mountain. No. There was the sound of moving wind.

There was the sound of speeding wind.

.

~o0o~

.

And then, something like a torpedo shot right out of the dust cloud. The Airbender was moving faster than he could have moved with two legs. But how was that possible? How was it possible that he moved as fast as the wind? How was it possible that he was moving without using any of his feet?

Azula couldn't understand because she had never been taught the Air Scooter.

And as Aang sped down the mountain on his little ball of air, he couldn't help but life like he used to at how a genius he really was.

~o0o~

.

_**BOOOM!**_

.

~o0o~

.

A pulse of concentrated energy nearly knocked Aang out of concentration and he swept wildly to the right. The blast landed almost next to him and would have blown him off the mountain had not Aang paid attention. Behind him, Azula was screaming for him to come back. Already, he could hear her jumping down, using Airbending to cling to the mountainside and advance her speed.

_Agh! Control! Breathe! Concentrate!_

A large ledge suddenly rose up from the mountainside. Aang crashed right into it as he sped down the mountain. He had suppressed the impact by Earthbending, making the impact softer. This also broke the ledge apart and Aang continued his run down the mountain.

Another ledge popped up.

Aang placed his forearms in front of him. He crashed and plowed right through the ledge. But the impact completely knocked him off and the sphere of air around Aang's right foot was gone. He, once again, grabbed onto a protruding rock and clung to it for dear life.

_Agh! My arm!_

Azula jumped further down and launched another blue fire blast onto Aang. After blocking it, Azula tried again. She kept spouting streams of bluish fire that were directed at Aang. Airbending was Aang's main defense, but his body was tiring out. The shocks from his chest have been increasing recently and Aang has been covering them with mere winces and gasps.

"_THIS TIME!_" Azula shouted as she laughed with her teeth catching the starlight. "_THIS TIME, I WANT YOU TO BURN!_"

Azula landed right on top of Aang, raised her fist into the sky, and shot it straight at Aang's face.

.

~o0o~

.

Though her teeth were shining wildly in Aang's face and her smile was disturbing, her body was trembling. The fist she had used to throw at Aang didn't touch Aang's skin, but hovered above it. Her fist was shaking and large gusts of wind appeared to circle around it. Though a spurt of fire had appeared from her fist, it was immediately extinguished by some unknown force.

"_What…?_" Azula gasped as she tried Firebending through that particular fist. "_What's going on…?_"

A strange sensation came over her hand. Her hand felt all tingly and yet the rest of her body did not feel that way. Her hand felt nothing—not even the surrounding air.

Aang backed away as Azula trembled at the sight of her hand.

"_What have you done?!_" she screamed.

"You won't be Firebending with that hand," said Aang calmly.

Azula turned to him with that violent look. "_WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?_"

Then, Azula noticed that Aang was in some form of position. He was bending something, but that was unclear. Azula shook her head, trying to wash of the feeling. Then, she turned back at Aang and used her other fist to shoot at him. Aang moved into another position at the same time. When Azula shot at him the same thing happened.

Azula couldn't Firebend.

"Fire needs air," Aang explained as he twisted his fingers. "And without air, fire cannot exist. So, I simply took it away."

And that's exactly what Aang did. Using the same sphere of air technique he had made, Aang had focused to balls of air around Azula's hands. Then, using the technique he had learned from Ummi, he focused to remove the air from the inside the sphere, creating a vacuum. As long as that vacuum was wrapped around Azula's hands, she won't be able to Firebend.

But Azula was desperate.

"_YOU SHOULD HAVE STAYED DOWN!_" she screamed.

_**VRAAAAAIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!**_

A burst of blue flame erupted from Azula's throat and out her mouth. The searing heat boiled any nearby droplets of water vapor. But Aang stopped her completely. The bursting fire came midway to incinerating him. Aang had stopped bending the vacuums around Azula's hands. He had to concentrate on what he was going to do next.

Suddenly, Azula dropped on both knees, clutching her throat. Her tongue was sticking out of her wide mouth and drops of saliva dripped from the side of her lip. Her pupils were terribly small.

"_Ack—! Hck—! Krk—!_"

Azula couldn't breathe.

Aang was shaking violently. He had no choice. Azula had forced his hand. He just stood there, holding that sphere of vacuum on her head; his hands in position—like they were strangling some invisible neck.

Aang couldn't take it.

"_Azula!_" He shouted, tears streaming out of his eyes. "_Give up now! Please!_"

Azula's eyes turned to Aang and realized something: _this boy could not kill_. Even when every gulp of air proved useless, Azula couldn't help at laugh at this predicament. Despite the vacuum around Azula's head, she knew that it was Aang who was suffering from the inside.

So Azula just waited there.

"_Give up!_" Aang screamed as his body rocked in a spasm.

The Fire Princess was going to go into a shock if she didn't take a gulp of air within the next few seconds. But Azula just smiled at him silently.

"_GIVE UP!_"

Azula sounded like she was laughing and she gave him a full look on the face. She was maniacal now. She smiled wildly him. At the same time, she was scratching her throat with her long nails as she gasped for air. Aang was sweating at the mere sight of this person. More tears flowed from his eyes.

"_GIVE UP!_" Aang pleaded."_Please…_"

"_Ack—!_" Azula gasped. "_Ne—ver…_"

Aang could take it no longer. This act of cruelty went against his character. He didn't want to do it. But he was so close to it too. Yet, Aang had not killed her. He would never take a life. _Never_. Though, his joints ached. His body was weakened. His bones felt soft. His nerves trembled.

And so, Aang released his grip and both of them fell for a second.

Azula was the first one up.

She turned and aimed her hand at him, ready to deal him the final blow.

.

~o0o~

.

Once again, Aang bent a small sphere of air around Azula's attacking hand. But something was different. Azula should have known he would do this. So, why then would she repeat the same mistakes?

Azula laughed and said, "You are so foolish… You could have ended the battle! It would have all been over, but you didn't take it away out of pity—out of some stupid belief that life is precious… But it's not! Let me show you how it isn't by once again taking your life… And secondly, you are foolish because _not all_ Firebending techniques use _fire_…."

_**ZRAAACK!!!**_

.

~o0o~

.

"_There!_" Katara shouted. "_The lightning! It has to be them!!_"

Everyone heard Katara and they directed the animals in that direction. All of them were just in time to see the streak of lightning brighten up the night sky. All their eyes darted around in search for Aang and possibly Azula. There! On the mountain slope! Two people—one smaller than the other, seemed to have stopped in place. No one could understand what that meant but everyone was ready to jump in and assist.

"_Somebody has to break them apart!_" Katara ordered. "_We have to split them up and help Aang!_"

Zuko was the first to move. The Firebender jumped into the air and rocketed in Aang's direction. Suki and Harry pulled on the reigns on each of the Sky Bison and directed them there. But it was Sokka who struck first. He lifted his space sword above his head and spun it towards the two on the mountain slope.

.

~o0o~

.

_That was too close…_

Aang had escaped Azula's lightning blast by doing the simplest defensive maneuver. He had simply evaded it. By tilting his body left, the lightning blast had completely missed him—despite Azula being in front of him. But being this close to Azula also its disadvantages. Stray sparks of lightning that were never directed anywhere had come in contact with Aang's skin. Though they were merely sparks, the effect on his heart was too much.

_Argh!_

Aang grabbed his chest and cringed.

Azula switched position and was ready to attack Aang a second time.

_Swish—_CHUK!

The large black sword struck the ground that was between them, stunning them for a second. It had gone so deep that half of its blade was sticking out of the ground. Then, the two realized that they weren't alone. Both looked towards the sky to see two Sky Bison flying in the air and headed their way. One was flying under his own power.

Aang gritted his teeth and knitted his eyebrows.

"_Stay away!_" Aang shouted. "_Don't come any closer!_"

.

~o0o~

.

Zuko landed in front of Aang and forced Azula back with a ferocious display of his classic orange fire. Azula jumped higher with Airbending but Zuko caught up with her as he flew up. Aang climbed after them, protesting against Zuko's actions.

"_Zuko!_" Aang shouted. "_Go back and make sure the others get out of here! This fight is mine and mine alone!_"

Zuko kept his eyes straight on Azula and attacked. "This is my fight too! It's _you_ who really needs to go with the others. Look at you! You're beaten down and you can barely stand! I'll take things from here!"

Aang grabbed Zuko's shoulder out of anger and pushed him back while pushing himself forward. Aang shot forward with the Air Scooter on his foot and kicked that same sphere of air at Azula. The sphere hit Azula dead-on, like the form itself had been solid. Azula was thrown pushed back, but stopped herself by scraping her nails on the mountainside.

"Zuko!" Aang warned. "I don't need your help right now! Just go back and stay safe! Azula will get me by going through you."

"You can't force me, Aang," said Zuko. "Azula and I have never actually finished our battles."

Azula stood up and rolled her eyes and made the decision for them. "Just so both of you can stop bickering, I've decided that both of you can have me. Does that sound fair to either of you…?"

.

~o0o~

.

"Just bring me near the mountain," said Sokka.

"Why?" Suki asked. "I don't think you want to be caught in the middle of all that shouting—or worse, bending."

Sokka kept looking at the mountainside, but not at Zuko, Aang, or Azula, but at something else. His eyes were transfixed at whatever it was. Sokka made all the signs of an anxious person—the licking of lips, the dripping sweat, the drumming of fingers on the saddle—it was all there.

"Once I get on the mountain, you guys clear out of the way immediately," Sokka ordered. "If Azula sees us all bunched up together, she could use this against Aang. She could threaten him. Never give Azula the upper hand. I'll just take a second, after all."

"Hey!" Toph exclaimed. "I'm coming with you!"

This time, it was Sokka's turn to punch Toph on the arm. "You're staying here with Suki, you got that?" Sokka turned to Suki. "Did you hear that, Suki? I want you to make sure that Toph doesn't follow me down. What I'm about to do is personal and I don't want anyone getting in the way or anyone using it against me."

"_What __**are**__ you going to do?_" Toph and Suki demanded in unison.

Sokka smiled.

"I'm going to get my sword back."

.

~o0o~

.

_**ZRAAACK!!!**_

"_Azula's gone mad!_" Zuko exclaimed. The lightning blast had almost hit him in the chest. But this time, Zuko could see that she was more aggressive than ever. He had seen her like this. When she had struck him down during the day of Sozin's Comet, Azula had gone mad. There was bloodlust in her eyes that time. And here it was again, staring him down.

Aang pushed Zuko to the side. "If you're going to fight, then stop standing still, acting all surprised!"

Zuko shook his head and removed himself from his memories. He was in the battlefield fighting the world's most powerful person—the Avatar. He had to keep his mind in the "here" and "now".

_**ZRAAACK!!!**_

Zuko dodged the attack once again. "Give it up, Azula! You can't handle both of us! We're stronger than any of your attacks!"

Azula smiled. "_But what about the third guy?_"

Zuko was unfazed. "What third guy—?"

Azula laughed and shot a bolt of lightning, past the two of them, heading down the mountain. Zuko turned to see Sokka climbing the mountain for some reason. It was Sozin's Comet all over again. Zuko knew he had to throw himself in the way to prevent it from reaching Sokka. But the problem was that Azula had already fired and the bolt of energy had already sped past them.

.

~o0o~

.

Sokka felt completely stupid.

The young warrior had almost reached his sword. If the ground had been flat, it would have taken him two jumps and the job would be done. The sword was just a few meters above his head! But seeing the lightning come towards him made him realize that this task was far from easy.

Sokka was totally defenseless.

_**ZRAAACK!—ZZZT!**_

The lightning blast did not hit him. Sokka opened his eyes just in time to see the last strays of energy get absorbed into his blade. The energy surged all around it, making the sword glow for awhile. Sokka had to squeeze his eyes shut the moment the light shone everywhere. But when it was gone and Sokka had opened his eyes, he realized that his ordeal was over and he could get his sword back.

Sokka took another step higher.

"_You might get hurt_."

Sokka turned around and was really annoyed to find that Toph, despite his warnings, had followed him down here. "I told you to stay on Appa!" he declared. "You were supposed to stay put! Didn't Suki do anything to stop you?"

Toph smiled. "Actually, she encouraged me."

Sokka groaned. "So…what were you going to say?"

Toph pointed at Sokka's space sword. "You might not want to go to that thing. It's hot. I mean _really_ hot. The whole thing feels like it's alive. Whatever struck it is still in there. I can feel it with my own to feet."

Sokka raised a brow. "How can you possibly feel it? I thought you detect vibrations?"

Toph nodded. "But it's really hot. I can _feel_ it."

It was then that Sokka noted that he could feel the heat of the ground too. The ground felt like it was _burned_—shocked. Grass and plants that surrounded his space sword seemed to have blackened. But that wasn't right either… How could the heat from the lightning have transferred from the sword to the ground and have reached so far too.

This didn't make sense. As far as Sokka knew, the metal in the sword and the earth in the ground were two equally different things. And yet, the lightning had somehow _transferred_ from sword to earth just like that. If things had run normally, only direct portions of the ground would be scorched. But the heat had spread out so far that it didn't make sense.

Sokka rubbed his chin. "The sword…_channeled_ the lightning into the ground…" he concluded.

"Channeled?" Toph asked. "You mean the same way Zuko redirects lightning from one part of his body and out the other…?"

Sokka nodded. "Amazing… Somehow, the metal exhibits the same properties Zuko uses to redirect lightning—"

"_Oh no…_" Toph gasped.

"What is it…?" Sokka asked.

"I can feel it… _Aang…_"

.

~o0o~

.

"_Argh!_" Aang gasped as he clutched his chest again. The jolt seized his whole body this time. He had strained himself too much. And with one hand on his chest, Aang realized that he was no longer holding on to anything. Only his right foot left him on the mountainside as he was standing on a small ledge. But even that was going as away. Without his left leg, he was going to fall off balance.

"Whoa—!" Aang shouted as he spun his arms in circles, trying to regain his balance.

Azula smiled. This was too easy.

"_Let me help you…_"

With one rapid move, Azula forced a compressed column of air at Aang. The young Airbender's eyes darted everywhere, trying to look for a solution as he fell back to the open space behind him. But the pain in him was stronger now. His chest still felt like it was on fire. He couldn't think probably, couldn't move properly, and couldn't fight properly. Therefore, the only option available to him was losing his balance.

Azula had Airbended Aang off the mountain—watching with content as his body plummeted through the clouds.

.

~o0o~

.

"_AANG!_" Katara cried. "_AANG!_"

Everyone saw it. There was this look of horror on their faces. For a moment, they froze like statues. But no one could remain still for long. Zuko, Katara, Suki, and Sokka quickly ordered everyone to catch Aang before he crashed at the base of the mountain. Sokka got his space sword (with some help from Toph). Zuko flew off and landed on Ummi's saddle. All of them dove in a vertical descent in hopes of saving Aang.

And just to slow Azula down, Katara bended the nearby clouds and forced them all to condense together and form a large veil that blocked her view of what was happening below—like the closing curtains that signify the end of a play.

"_THIS WON'T STOP ME!_" Azula laughed. "_THE AIRBENDER IS GONE AND I'M COMING DOWN THERE TO PROVE IT!_"

.

.

.

.

.

**Fire Nation, Grand Plaza, Royal Palace, (late evening)**

Hundreds of thundering footsteps began to echo outside the palace and the palace's walls didn't seem strong enough to buffer the intensity of these footsteps. Something was happening outside the palace and that 'something' seemed to be an army that had appeared out of nowhere. From the sound of it, this army had somehow stormed through the palace gates and entered through the main courtyard. The sudden uproar made Ozai feel uneasy.

"_What's happening?_" Ozai demanded.

Ursa had been cornered to a tall pillar, but even in this situation, she couldn't help but make some witty remarks. "_You can't win this anymore… Your plan to overrun the world's cities has been completely disrupted… The Order of the White Lotus was the first to storm the palace and make the way for the next group of attackers… Those footsteps outside, well, they're Water Tribe warriors from the south… They'll stop at nothing until your reign is over…_"

Ozai smiled. "That's certainly a bold statement coming from you… Hmmm… _It seems that I can no longer trust anyone from the family_… And I can't have those people running around and ruining this occasion. They will have to be dealt with shortly and swiftly… Tell me, Ursa… Do you want to see these people burn?"

"You're a _horrible_ man!" Ursa spat.

"You should know by now that words will never hurt me," Ozai responded. "But I _am_ deeply wounded by these slanderous claims of yours. You have me all _wrong_… The fact is that I do _care_… I let you live, didn't I? And Azula has been treated perfectly ever since childhood… That's why I've been keeping a close eye on her lately…"

"You mean you've been keeping a close eye on her by using that once-dead admiral, Zhao?" Ursa asked. "He's not her bodyguard… He's there to make sure that Azula doesn't slip up, isn't he?"

Ozai smiled. "Very good… I can see that you're still sharp as a knife…"

"I can't believe you would do this to her! I thought you favored her over Zuko!" Ursa screamed.

"I do not hand out favors," Ozai said seriously. "But let me explain things to you so you don't get any ideas of the contrary. You see, I've never been this close to my goal in my whole life… Being born under my father was not enough for me… Being the younger brother in the family was not enough… And during my time in prison, I realized that I should never ever put myself in such loss again… It is only when you are closer to your goal that things appear at their hardest and they may look unattainable… And it is at these moments when the chances are in favor of me losing everything I held dear…

"So, I can't allow this disturbance from you… I _can't_… It's just not at the right time… Because, as of this moment, nothing is more important than my goal… _Nothing…_"

Ursa was stunned. "Not even your followers? Not even Azula?"

"Azula is my most faithful subject and my most loyal one as well," Ozai began. "But she accepted the fact that there might come times that I could no longer trust her…that she would falter and turn into an obstacle instead of an accomplice. And she knew that when that time came, she would have to be replaced."

Ozai then turned his attention to his older brother and the swordsman. They were groaning as they rose back into consciousness. The two sat up and began scratching their heads. Ozai smiled upon the two without leaving his attention on Ursa. "_Ah… It's so nice to see the two of you back with the living… Although, I must warn you… If any of you do anything stupid, Ursa dies…_"

Iroh and Piandao cursed beneath their breaths.

"Anyway," Ozai continued, "I knew that I could trust Azula to the grave… But allowing her to become Avatar was something that really concerned me… At first, I had assigned Zhao to watch over her as protection… He would come by my prison cell to report any news that had happened so far. Also, Zhao was preparing Azula for the final battle with the world. Zhao was meant to find out if she was physically and mentally prepared to face the rebirth of the war… Weeks went by and Zhao's reports kept confirming Azula's preparedness… She was level-headed and had mastered most of the elements in a short span of time… One detailed report was that Azula even subjected herself through _torture_ and lived through it… That was supposedly the final conclusion and there would have been no more reports after that…"

But Ozai's mood changed after that. His brows knitted together and a scowl appeared on his face. The man suddenly began to pace back and forth. Ozai seemed to be talking to himself now.

"_But then_," Ozai exclaimed to himself, "_But then came the incident in Ba Sing Se…_"

Ursa raised her brows and whispered, "_Incident…?_"

Ozai was very self-absorbed with his own thinking as he began to speak aloud. "_As Azula finished her Earthbending in Ba Sing Se, she suddenly failed me… The details were sketchy but from the reports, Azula had finally succumbed to some sort of weakness…_"

"What happened?" Ursa demanded.

"Ba Sing Se… large portions of the walls were obliterated… thousands of homes were uprooted… Out of impulse, Azula had activated the Avatar State and spontaneously attacked hundreds of Earth Kingdom citizens—_without my say so…_ Destroying the Earth Kingdom capital had not been part of the plan… The plan was for Azula to stay hidden until she finished her Earthbending training… But she didn't…

"And it is because of this impulsive behavior that forced me to double check on Azula… I had to make compromises—just in case Azula would succumb to such animalistic and unstable behavior in these delicate times… Failure is unacceptable at these crucial stages… I couldn't just overlook that problem even if Azula was my most trusted follower."

"So," Ursa asked. "What would happen if Azula _did_ fall out of line?"

"Simple," Ozai responded. "Azula would be replaced."

"Replaced?" asked Ursa, still in denial.

"If all else failed," Ozai spoke, "and somehow, Azula would uncontrollably step into the Avatar State just as she did in Ba Sing Se, she had to be replaced quickly to prevent the Avatar spirit from falling into the wrong hands… So, I decided that as a last-ditch effort, I would give the power of the planet to one person in particular—I would give the power of the whole world to a man who could not die…_because he already did…_ Because no one could hurt a dead man, thus securing control over the Avatar—and ultimately, my victory…"

Ursa couldn't believe it. "And you would sacrifice Azula just like _that?_"

Ozai smiled. "All for the greater good, of course…"

.

~o0o~

.

Piandao, who was listening to the conversation, turned to Iroh. "Is the royal family really this _mad?_"

Iroh sighed knowingly. "You have _no_ idea…"

.

.

.

.

.

**Southern Air Temple, Base of the mountain, (late evening)**

.

_I don't want __**you**__ or anyone else risking your lives to fix __**my**__ mistakes!_

.

~o0o~

.

Aang woke up seeing Katara smiling at him. He blinked a second time and she was still there, holding that wide smile. Then Aang remembered the words he had said to her when he woke up from his coma before. These people were suffering because of him. Aang felt so guilty deep down and only anger seemed to be the answer. But Aang felt more like himself than ever before. He could control his emotions.

"_What happened…? Where are we…?_"

"We caught you just in time," Katara answered. "We're in this cave Toph and Haru dug out at the bottom of the air temple mountain. Azula doesn't know where we are for the moment. As long as Toph and Haru keep the entrance sealed, Azula won't find us."

Aang rolled his head to the left and right, looking around. Zuko lit the cave with his Firebending while Toph and Haru placed their hands on one portion of the cave wall. Sokka and Suki were busy meddling with the space sword. But everyone could hear what they were saying. It was a terribly small cave.

And then, Aang realized that he felt strangely better. The burning sensation on his chest felt like it had disappeared. But in its place was something else. He felt strangely heavier.

Aang placed a hand to his chest, but realized that he couldn't touch his skin. A thick layer of ice had been frozen over his upper torso.

"It's all I could come up with in such short notice," Katara reasoned. "When I touched your chest, it felt like it was on fire. I decided to fashion this ice shell over your body to keep you cool. Healing also did the trick. The hardened ice will also prevent you from getting hurt in that area. But I couldn't say the same for your left leg. I tried healing it, but the only remedy is time."

Aang nodded, accepting his position.

"The scar really looks bad, Aang," Katara commented. "When I saw it, I really didn't know what to think… I had a strong feeling that you left us again… And I had to keep myself together until I found the truth… But I didn't want to believe my instincts… Because I was _so_ stubborn… At least you're still okay, though, you won't be able to go near lightning anytime soon. I'm just glad that I decided not to believe…"

Aang acknowledged this again.

Zuko approached him with that firelight on his hand. He wanted to talk business.

"What happened up there?" Zuko questioned. "What happened to my sister? The last time she acted like that was when she shot me and thought I would die. But this is _worse_… What happened up there, Aang? What pushed her over the edge?"

Everyone turned to Aang. Everyone wanted to know.

"_What happened up there, Aang…?_" Katara questioned.

Aang looked at all of them, and after deliberating with himself on whether he should speak of this, he finally sighed and said, "_Something's changed, alright… When I started fighting her again, I realized that Azula wasn't herself as well… I thought it was because I had died and came back that made her crazy… But no…_

"_That's because I didn't realize what she did… And when I realized it, I knew that it was my fault… I thought I couldn't live with myself… I didn't know what would have happened… I thought my plan would've worked…_"

"_What are you talking about…?_" Katara asked.

Aang looked into Katara's eyes and the young Waterbender realized that the boy's eyes were beginning to water.

"_Khai…_"

.

~o0o~

.

"_Everybody quiet down!_" Toph hissed as she pressed her hand on the cave wall. "_I'm sensing movement from the other side! I think it's Azula!_"

All of them fell silent as they too tried to listen in to any outside noises. Everyone was uneasy. If they wanted things done, they had to do it the right way. The group huddled together and brainstormed on ideas. Zuko, being the oldest and a leader of an entire nation, was one of the first one to speak—and his suggestion was valued well.

"What we need is a plan…" Zuko spoke. "If we keep confronting Azula, nothing's going to happen but a mere exchanging of blows. The winner would be the person with the most firepower and the most skill. We can't leave things like that to dumb luck. We need to have a winning chance."

Katara couldn't have agreed more. "Zuko's right. To defeat Azula, brute strength just won't cut it. We need to be smart here. We need to have a plan."

A plan.

Everyone turned their heads at Sokka.

Sokka backed away, motioning them to step away and not to get any ideas. "No. No! Look, I'm completely out of it today. It's not like my ideas come into my head from out of nowhere. No! I need _time_ to think things through—which we obviously do not have!"

"Come on, Sokka," Toph urged, stamping her foot on the ground to add effect. "Get that big brain of yours into thinking!"

"It's not that easy!" Sokka retorted. "Do you people honestly think that coming up with a fool-proof plan is that easy? I need an idea… a concept… something the bad guys would never figure out until the last second. Inspiring ideas don't come up like that so easily… It's just not going to happen."

Suddenly there was an explosion outside. The tremor rocked the cave and shook loose dust from the ceiling. Everyone fell silent again and started to sweat. The pressure was on now. How soon would Azula find them? It was not a question of "if" because she was going to find them... eventually. And none of them were prepared to face her again.

"Is _that_ enough of an inspiration for you?" Toph remarked.

Meanwhile, Katara decided to leave them to their bickering as she was concerned for Aang. The young boy had huddled to one corner of the cave, his eyes looking sad. But there was also frustration deep within the sadness. Katara walked up to him. "Are you okay, Aang…? Why aren't you joining with the others? We could really use your help with this plan…"

"Stop this, Katara," Aang spoke, averting his eyes from hers. "This is dangerous for all of you. I want you guys to stop making these plans and leave this place before Azula catches you. I'm the only one ready to handle the Avatar. You have to give me a chance to stop her…"

"_Ready?_" Katara questioned. "Aang, you've been struck with lightning and your left leg is useless. You're in a great deal of pain. You're not ready for this, Aang. All of us stand a better chance at this than you going at it alone.

Aang growled. "I can't let my friends suffer for my mistakes! I can't—!"

"_No, Aang_," Katara interrupted. "I _need _to be here. I had my own battles… We each did our part to stop the Fire Lord and the Fire Nation during the arrival of Sozin's Comet. But I wasn't there when you saved the world… I should have been there… I've always burdened myself with the fact that you had to face the Fire Lord alone. But not this time… This time, I'll be here to see you. I'm here to _help_ you. We're here to make sure that you've got some backup."

Aang sighed. For some reason, he was frustrated yet glad at the same time. "I can't get rid of you people…"

Katara maintained her seriousness. She touched the ice over the scar on Aang's chest. "Know your limitations, Aang…"

Aang bowed his head out of grief. "I know them, Katara… You should have seen me there… I was _this_ close to ending the war… But I couldn't do it… I just believed it wasn't the right way to end things… Azula and all my enemies have known about my compassion and have exploited it. In the end, I couldn't do it and Azula slipped free, prepared to attack me again…"

"Kindness isn't a weakness," said Katara. "It's not a limitation."

"Whatever it is," Aang spoke, "Azula just used it against me. And if we think about it, since kindness and life-value had been at the very heart of our Airbending teachings, the Fire Nation had probably used it against my people. They used our one major weakness the day Sozin's Comet arrived a hundred years ago. And that's probably why they lost. That's probably why all the Air Nomads are gone."

"So what are you saying?" Katara asked, evidently angry. "Are you blaming them for this? Are you blaming them because if they didn't teach you to value life, then you would resort to killing? Then Aang, you have to ask yourself this: _Do you want to kill…? Are you ready to take someone's life?_"

Aang finally turned to face Katara. Under the light, Katara finally saw the tears sliding down his cheek and chin. He looked so still, so silent, but in peace…

"_Never…_" said Aang. "_Not in a hundred years…_"

"Then what are you saying?" Katara prodded. "You were proud of me when I confronted my mother's killer and didn't strike him. But you seem conflicted with your own teachings. You knew it was wrong to take the life of the Fire Lord. Even if everyone told you to do it, you never struck him down. So why now? Why do are you thinking of killing?"

Aang shook his head and smiled with the tears dripping down his chin. "I _never_ said I wanted to _kill_… You've gotten me all wrong… I'm not upset that I didn't end the war there. I'm _glad_ that I didn't kill Azula. I'm _really, really_ happy I didn't do it."

Katara squinted. "I don't understand…"

"If I had killed Azula, if I had resorted to murder, if I had resorted to revenge, then all of my people's teachings would have gone to waste." Aang remarked. "The Air Nomads who have placed all their wisdom into me would have died completely the moment I took Azula's life. And once that was gone, who would I be? I would be like _them_—like Azula and my enemies. And if I'm just as bad as them, then there's no more hope.

"And without hope," Katara finished. "How can you save the world?"

"So you see," Aang concluded. "By taking value on life, we have turned our weaknesses into strengths. I can see now that my path is clear. It is only through love, kindness, and compassion that this war can finally rest. And it seems that I'm going to need my friends _more then ever_ now…"

Aang stood up and walked back to the group circle, ready to contribute some of his ideas to the team.

Katara took a while to watch Aang walk over to them. She too was crying but there was pride in there too. "_If only you could see yourself, Aang…_" she whispered. "_If only you knew how much you've grown… The world is on your shoulders…_"

.

~o0o~

.

_**BOOOOOM!!!**_

.

~o0o~

.

"I have a plan," said Sokka casually. "Why don't we…_**RUN!**_"

"Nice plan," Toph agreed.

"Let's go with that," said Suki.

Azula had been blasting away through the mountains, crazed and demented. Despite the number of intellectual evidences that the Airbender couldn't have survived and that it would take an impossible amount of time for his friends to reach him, Azula believed him to be alive because he _had_ to be. And sometimes, just to reinforce her desperation and _need_, Azula believed Aang to be alive because just she _wanted_ him that way. And at last, her crazed efforts proved useful as she found their cave at the very base of the mountain.

"_Follow me!_" Toph shouted as she collected the earth from an opposite cave wall and forced it open to create a tunnel. "_Everybody into the hole!_"

Meanwhile, Azula had just entered through her small opening. Her teeth and fangs were showing. And despite the darkness of night, everybody could feel her presence.

"_You were too easy to find…_" she hissed. "_Every breath gave you away…_"

As the seven of them started to run in haste, Azula did not. She preferred walking, each step having more impact on the pursued. Though they would be getting farther from her, Azula knew there would be nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. She just wanted to preserve her energy until that moment came.

Toph and Haru blasted through the last layers of earth and fresh air from outside rushed in to fill in the space. Everyone ran out, their feet splashing on puddles of saltwater and stepping on dry sand. The evening sky lay overhead like a black blanket with sparkles scattered all over. Haru sealed in the opening by creating a rock slide.

Finally, when everyone was far enough, they stopped. Aang, who had placed his arm over Sokka's shoulder so he could run alongside them, was the second to look back and breathe. That rock slide would not stop Azula.

_**CRASH!**_

"_Look what I can do!_" Azula screamed as she popped out of the dust. She charged at them, this time, on full speed.

And as Azula ran towards them, she began collecting different kinds of elements from the surroundings. The rocks she had stepped on began to clump together on her feet until something that resembled a boot made of earth was created. With these earth shoes, Azula began to slide across the sand. And to move even quicker, plumes of blue fire rocketed out of her heels and propelled her forward. With her right arm, Azula drew water from the many puddles and coated her right arm with it, forming a sharp water tentacle. Finally, Azula used her left hand to collect fistfuls of air and pound them across the sand, battering her way through.

This was Azula bending all four elements at the same time.

"_Retreat!_" Zuko shouted. "_Everybody down the beach!_"

Everyone followed and ran down the slope of the beach. All the while, Azula was bombarding them with sudden sand upheavals created from the air on her left fist. But then, the group ran into a stumbling block and was completely trapped. At first, its features were unrecognizable due to the darkness of night and most of its form had been crumpled. But as they got closer, they all realized what had stopped them.

.

~o0o~

.

"So this was where it ended up…" Sokka mused as he caught sight of the large, black, airship.

"I guess that explains why this place looks like something crashed into it… That also explains the puddles of water all around," Toph noted.

The airship Sokka and Suki had forced to crash ended up right on this beach. The machine collided where the sea met with the beach. Underneath the airship was a large dugout crater that had filled with seawater. The puddles on the beach seemed to have been water from the sea that had been thrown up during impact. Meanwhile, the hull of the airship seemed to have been violently torn apart and most of the metal seams that kept it together had ripped open. This suggests that the impact had been violent as it had compressed most of the ship's form.

But Sokka immediately realized that the airship didn't crash as forceful as it looked. The lower platform seemed to be in order and since there was no large hole from any form of explosion, it was safe to say that the bombs were still intact and had not detonated upon the ship's crash. This suggests a much softer landing.

Zuko was sweating as he watched his sister catch up with them. "_We don't have time for all this speculation! What we need is a plan, Sokka! Now is the time to get inspired!_"

"I'm working on it!" Sokka shouted back.

"Give me a second," Aang spoke. "I'm coming back…"

Then, without warning, Aang limped forward, dragging his left leg on the sand. He was waddling as fast as his muscles could take him. Behind him, his friends were calling him back. Aang blocked them out. He was not tired of them, as one might think. Rather, Aang was taking the responsibility to defend them. He would give them enough time to make their plan.

Azula stopped a meter away from him.

"_YOU'LL BE THE FIRST ONE TO GO!_" she screamed.

With her right arm, Azula started to thrash around, using the water there like a whip. Aang would limp to the sides and the water tentacle would miss, slashing into the sand. The whiplash got to Aang a bit, stinging his skin.

Aang acted fast by molding a sphere of air around his hands and onto his right feet. Immediately, Azula's water attacks could not match up to his speed. At same moment, Aang seemed to be enjoying himself as he laughed while making circles around Azula.

"_Stay still!_" she shrieked.

Azula quickly changed tactics. With her left foot, she tossed some of the rocks that were on her foot into the air. Then, with her right foot, she kicked them in Aang's direction. These projectiles easily matched Aang's speed and even surpassed them. Those that had missed him caused serious repercussions to the ground. And those that managed to cross his path were another story.

Knowing that it took more than speed to outrun speeding shrapnel, Aang improvised. Using the thick ice coating his torso, Aang obtained a large quantity of it to form two water tentacles that sprung from his back. These variations were controlled by the minute contractions and extensions of Aang's arm. With great precision and dexterity, Aang caught all the speeding rocks and threw them casually aside.

Azula tore loose.

"_**VRAAAAAIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!**_"

Aang chose to face the blue blaze squarely. He jammed his forearms together, aligning them vertically and in front of Aang's body. This circular and "brute-like" motion attracted the pieces of rocks that Aang had thrown to the side. They collected all around his arms. When the blaze struck him, Aang remained unaffected as his block stopped it completely. Once finished, Aang placed his arms back to their original positions with pieces of earth still layered over his arms.

Now, it was Aang's turn to change tactic.

Dashing forward on his Air Scooter, Aang went for the offensive. Fireballs sprouted from his fingertips. He threw them at Azula, attacking decisively. Azula countered by Airbending Aang's attacks, swirling her arms in front of her to dissipate the flames. Azula was moving back now. She was falling into a corner.

Aang looked incredible.

With fireballs in his hands, earth armoring his arms, tentacles attached to his back while acting like an extra pair of limbs, and a sphere of air to ride on, Aang was bending all four elements simultaneously.

Azula's form barely held up against Aang's in their toe-to-toe battle with each other. She was pushed to a corner of the mountain with the walls completely surrounding her on all sides.

Azula appeared to be trapped.

.

~o0o~

.

Like a caged wild animal, Azula hated the enclosure and she desperately wanted to free herself from the situation. She moved to left, as if hoping Aang would be too slow enough to notice. Aang, of course, was not. She tried attacking him, but Aang was able to defend himself. It would almost seem that Aang had beaten her single-handedly.

Aang wiped his forehead.

Bending all four elements simultaneously was tiring enough.

Then, Katara and Zuko appeared on his left side. Zuko bended large swirls of bright orange fire while Katara made use of the water puddles to make a larger-than-normal water whip. Azula pressed herself to the mountainside.

"Hey!" Aang retorted. "I thought you guys would be busy making the plan…?"

Sokka, Suki, Toph, and Haru appeared Aang along his right side, all armed to the teeth. Sokka smiled at Aang and said, "We couldn't come up with anything, and since we saw you winning against Azula all on your own, we decided that since we didn't have a _thing_, this would be the _plan_ for now…"

Azula didn't like listening to their conversation. They talked about her as if she wasn't there and that she "fitted" perfectly into their scheme like she was some measurable thing that could be fitted into a mechanism, strung-up, and functioned with everything else. She didn't like it. Too bad she didn't know that she treated people the same way. This was what it meant by tasting the bitterness of her own medicine. The irony was breaking her again.

"_Don't move, princess!_" Toph shouted. "_There's no way out!_"

Azula laughed. "_You won't convince me!_"

Azula tried to retreat through the most obvious choice aside from attacking. Since she was trapped against the side of the mountain, Azula would try to tunnel her way to another side by diving into the wall. But Azula didn't even have a chance as Toph sensed her first and used the wall itself as a weapon against her.

Her next option was smoke screen but that horribly failed as Katara had control over the water around her.

So Azula resorted back to fighting.

When she fell tired again, she was beaten badly. Soil and dirt covered most of her clothing and she looked like she had been swept by the wind. Aang, who had resorted back to one element, felt it better to conserve his energy. Everyone was working together now. Sokka's boomerang and one of Suki's fans struck the wall behind her and freaked Azula out. Azula had nothing left to pull. In every sense of the word, Azula was "beaten".

But she always kept smiling.

.

~o0o~

.

So Azula used the last weapon she had in her arsenal. Azula attacked with the mind.

The young Firebender smiled widely, revealing every white tooth that was there. Small amounts of saliva began to slip onto her lips. Her pupils were about the size of a small pebble. This disturbing picture of herself told the group that Azula was about to go crazy. She looked furious, but at the same time, deranged.

"_It irritated me so much…_" Azula began. "_Khai irritated me so much…_"

The six of her opponents suddenly had their mouths run dry. The tension was as thick as ice.

"_What did you do with him?_" Sokka questioned angrily, gripping his sword like he was going to crush it.

"_He was needed at first…_" Azula continued, smiling like there was something funny going about. "_He had skills that were greatly rare… Skills I needed for myself… He taught them all to me as he was under pressure… And in turn, I fed information of myself to him… But he was so naïve… He believed in good and bad…in heroes and villains… For all his strength, he had the mind of a child…_"

It took all their strength not to attack Azula right now. The group just stood there with clenched teeth and tightened muscles. No one could move. Azula's words had fixed them in place.

"_But then, he became a nuisance…_" Azula spoke, laughing. "_At the near end of my Airbending training, Khai told me all about his family, how they died, and how he got a new mother… He was so innocently foolish… He kept asking me about joining his family—about sharing his mother…_"

All of them were growing angier and angrier—except one: Zuko.

Azula laughed. "_And in the end, he stupidly challenged me… I must admit… He fought well, but he—_"

Zuko interrupted Azula's rant. "Why didn't you accept the offer…?"

Azula snapped her head and turned to Zuko. She never knew she was about to be interrupted. She thought everyone would be stuck listening, all thirsting to know what had happened to the young boy. And when they were so engrossed with the story, Azula would attack all of them with one strike. But Zuko had stupidly interrupted her.

She growled inwardly and turned to Zuko. "_What offer…?_"

"Khai didn't need you to tell him about yourself," Zuko spoke. "During the times we were together, we talked about you to mother and Khai. Mom didn't want to believe that you had ended up like this and Khai was one to agree with our mother…"

"_What does our mother have anything to do with his offer of sharing his family?_" Azula shrieked.

"Khai's family is _our_ family," Zuko summarized. "_Didn't he tell you about that?_ Our mother took him as her own son when they were both in hiding… And apparently he thought it would be best if you came back to our mother… He believed there was good in everyone… You apparently turned it down… Khai's offer was actually his way of giving you a second chance…"

.

~o0o~

.

The tables had turned now. Azula's intention was to have them shaking at the information she told about Khai. But Zuko had interrupted. And when she realized that Khai had been referring to _their_ mother, something struck through her heart. It wasn't guilt, though. _Never guilt_. It was anger. It was fury. And all these emotions weighed heavily on Azula, forcing her to her knees.

Furious, tears of anger began to stream down her face.

She was trapped on all sides, with nowhere to go.

Her enemies blocked her escape.

Azula was overpowered.

She was on the edge of sanity once more.

Her life-line was thinning away.

And now, this new piece of information from Zuko.

.

~o0o~

.

"_**HOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT ME WHEN I'M SPEAKING!**_"

When Azula looked up to face them, her eyes were shining white. A violent sphere of air began to wrap itself around Azula and began to pick her up from the ground. The scathing wind forced the group back. All her energy was circling around her. This was the thing that they had all feared would happen if they would push Azula too far. But it was too late now. The worst was here.

The Avatar State had been triggered.

.

~o0o~

.

Zhao's eyes widened. He was waiting for exactly this moment. Azula entered the Avatar State—just as he predicted she would. The entire battle had finally pushed her over the edge and the '_complications_' he thought would stop this moment from happening have actually helped it along. And because Azula had entered the Avatar State in such a dire state of mind, he was ordered to intervene.

All of Zhao's plans and theories were going to come together. It was do or die at this point—_well_, "do or die" _again_.

The game was about to change.

.

~o0o~

.

"_EVERYBODY, RUN!_" Katara shouted.

Azula's air sphere was causing so much wind that those that whipped out of the sphere tore through the mountain, creating small landslides. Boulders of all shapes and sizes began to fall off from cliffs. The beach began to shake under the very tremor of the Avatar State. Nowhere was safe now. When Azula attacks it would all be over. Everyone would be gone.

Everyone was making their escape on foot. Aang leaned on Katara, Zuko Firebended in the air, Toph and Haru slid through the sand, and Sokka and Suki ran like the wind.

Zuko suddenly shouted. "_ZHAO!_"

.

~o0o~

.

Zhao appeared right in front of Azula in his signature flash of green light. This was the deadly part. He waited for Azula to go into the Avatar State, but the Avatar State was very dangerous to any spirit. Zhao had felt its effects during the time Azula triggered it in the Western Air Temple. One touch and he felt like he was dying all over again. It was best to be careful and to talk things through.

"_Azula!_" Zhao shouted. "_You have failed!_"

Azula tilted her head slowly as she finally caught sight of Zhao. The spirit-man trembled. The white eyes were scary at times. He had to get through to her.

"_Did you hear me, Azula?_" Zhao shouted. "_You have failed… You have failed me… You have failed your father… You have failed the Fire Nation… And you have failed yourself…_"

It was only then did Zhao see some sort of recognition in her face. Yes. His words had registered to the Azula that was within. "_Your father told me to watch over you… Do you remember what happened in Ba Sing Se…? That was never supposed to happen, but it did… It was due to your unstable behavior… Your father cannot trust you anymore with this kind of power and now, you have done it again… I'm afraid your father told me to intervene in cases like these…_"

Those last words cut deeply to Azula and she was very enraged. Fire began to appear in her hands and the air sphere around her became even wilder. She was angry at Zhao. She would have to remove him. At the same time, she was afraid at what he might do.

Zhao took a step closer, unaffected by the wind it seemed.

"_It's time I assumed control…_"

This was the theoretical part now. What came after this was death or power. No need to look back. There was nothing left. Zhao took one last step forward and jumped.

Zhao jumped into Azula.

There was a bright flash of light.

Azula screamed in agony and fury.

.

~o0o~

.

Zhao knew that being brought back to earth was not enough for him. Though he was immortal, untouchable to ordinary people, and had all sorts of abilities, Zhao had missed his power to fight. His ability to bend energy was one of the things that had been stolen from him since death and he knew that as a spirit, he would not be able to do so, even on earth.

But Zhao had a theory. It was more than a theory, really. He had seen it happen twice. The first time was when Roku appeared in the Temple of Crescent Island during the Winter Solstice and the second time was during the Siege of the North Pole—right before his death. The Ocean Spirit, La, merged with the Airbender and took down his fleet—and even his life. That was Zhao's plan.

Zhao planned to spiritually merge with the Avatar, granting him full power of the Avatar State and the ability to bend the elements all over again.

And Zhao's theory had worked.

Zhao looked at himself. He was definitely himself, with no trace of Azula anywhere. White light poured out of his eyes and mouth. He could feel all the power of the world bubbling inside him.

"_**I am invincible…**_" Zhao breathed.

.

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**Fire Nation, Grand Plaza, Royal Palace, (early morning)**

"_Stop!_" Iroh ordered to the approaching Water Tribe warriors. The tone of his voice betrayed his tense feelings. "_Hold your positions! The situation is delicate!_"

Ozai, who had Ursa pressed to a pillar with his right hand on her neck, smiled sinisterly at these shocked warriors and said, "You better do as he says… Any stupid heroics your about to do will result to the ultimate end of the woman in my grasp. And I'm sure none of you want that…"

The Water Tribe warriors grew angry at Ozai's attempt to threaten someone's life. When the man spoke, the warriors stopped abruptly, holding their position by the throne room's entrance. When they arrived, they were quite eager to storm the palace and stop the madman who was desperate to regain control of the world. They had already stopped most of the Fire Nation soldiers outside the palace and all that was left was to stop the Fire Lord. They were so close…

"_Give it up, Ozai…_" Ursa struggled as she tried to speak and breathe. Ozai's hand was choking her to a degree. "_You have nothing on these people… Your men have been defeated and you're the only one left… It's going to take more than my death to stop them from taking over…_"

Ozai turned to her and smiled. "If I had nothing left, then they should have attacked me by now. But your life seems to be of some value to them. They will not try anything while you're in my possession."

Ursa snorted. "_Stop clinging to this desperate cause… You're defeated, Ozai… Accept it…_"

Ozai's smile was lost now and all that remained was a slight apprehension. Ursa could feel the man's cold sweat through the hand that held her neck to the pillar. She could see that the man who had been so sure of himself before was slowly losing himself to the intensity of the situation. It was so quiet now that the only sound was the crackling and snapping of the fires that lit the pillars, the throne, and the ones Ozai created that destroyed the place.

_Ozai is accepting the situation…_ thought Ursa. _He's counting his choices… Once he realizes that failure is inevitable, his spirit will crumble and he will admit defeat… If he's a reasonable man, that is… I highly doubt that…_

Suddenly, Ursa felt the fingers around her neck tighten. She was beginning to choke as the passage of air in her throat tightened. "_What…are…you…doing…?_" she gasped. Her breaths were becoming raspy.

Ozai chuckled as if he had done some sort of mistake and was embarrassed. He loosened the grip immediately and smiled at her in apology. "_I'm sorry_," he said shakily. "_I guess I don't know my own strength…_"

That sly action tempted the others even more. Ursa wished they did take to their instinct. Her life for the world was an easily small price. But Iroh had plans of his own. He had smart plans. What he was looking for was that exact moment where he should slip in and reveal that plan.

Unfortunately, Ozai was still clinging to his choices. Failure and defeat were things no Fire Lord would ever accept in his lifetime.

"I will count to ten," Ozai announced. "As soon as I am finished, then Ursa dies. And once she's dead, I will raise an inferno that no one has ever seen—and inferno that will take all of you with me… The only way to save her all yourselves is if you surrender!"

Ursa swallowed, feeling the lump on her throat. Ozai was making things work for him. By setting a deadline, Ozai was forcing his opponents to pressure themselves. With pressure, there was bound to be mistakes in choosing. This was Ozai last chance to win. He placed all his bets here. This man was not considering surrender.

"_One!_" shouted the man. Everyone was inching closer. Every shout he made would startle them.

"_Two!_"

Iroh tapped Piandao's hand. The two masters deliberated with one another, speaking through actions so Ozai would not hear. Although Master Piandao could not actually understand what was being said, he knew Iroh had something planned. The only thing he was asking from him was to read his sword and aim for a sleeve. This obscure order would probably make sense when the time came.

Ozai caught his brother and the swordsman moving and flinching. He was too uneasy to rationalize what they were doing. "_I can see you! Stop this! I'm jumping higher! Six!_"

The only ones that seemed to care were the fires that lit the throne room.

"_Seven!_"

Ozai closed his eyes with his jaw jammed shut. He seemed to be the only one who paid attention to his threats. The warriors were on the tense side, but they stayed in place. His brother and the swordsman didn't seem to give in. Everyone was playing it to the last second.

"_Eight!_"

"_Nine—!_"

.

~o0o~

.

Iroh lowered his breathing and his hands. Within a second the effects of his exaggerated motions took place. Ozai had seen him move, but by the time he would react, it would be too late. By lowering his hands and breathing slowly, Iroh had control—and Ozai lost it. Instantly, the entire throne room fell dark.

Iroh controlled every bit of fire in the throne room—from the fires on the throne and the fires on the pillars, to the stray ones on the ground. He lowered their intensity like so. And like a man blowing out a candle, Iroh blew out the lights.

.

~o0o~

.

Out of the darkness were voices.

"_**NO!**_"

"_**EVERYBODY, MOVE!**_"

_Swish—__**PANG!**_

"_**HEY!**_"

The last sound was going to come from Ozai. With all his senses robbed and a sudden pain in the gut, the man grew deranged. He was sure that Ursa had kicked him and that he had released her. But there was still gripping onto something. It didn't feel like a neck, but he didn't care anymore. He did the only thing he could do.

Although Ozai hoped it to be Ursa, whatever it was, he burned it alive.

.

~o0o~

.

The intense heated light from his attacks revealed exactly what it was. But he had been sure that his hand had not moved in place. And yet, it was clear what he had burned: a pillar. Ursa was not there. It was only then that Iroh relit the lights in the room.

Ozai was surrounded by four Water Tribe warriors, their spears almost touching his face.

Ursa was with his brother and the swordsman, clearly safe an unharmed.

And the reason why he didn't move from his place during the darkening was because something kept him there. That something sliced through the sleeve on his rob and pinned him to the pillar. An inch higher and it would have sliced his hand. The object had been the swordsman's sword.

Now, Ozai had nothing.

"_Surrender!_" shouted one of the warriors.

.

~o0o~

.

Instead, Ozai created a swirling sphere of fire that completely hid him. It raged on for half a second. The warriors poked their spears into it, but they struck nothing. Once the fires wafted away, there was nothing. Ozai had slipped away yet again. The man had cunningly escaped.

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**Southern Air Temple, Base of mountain, (early morning)**

"_Where's my sister?!_" Zuko screeched.

Zhao turned to the boy, smiled, and spoke.

"_**Why she's here!**_" laughed Zhao. His voice was a mix with his, Azula's, and the rest of the Avatar Spirits. "_**She's struggling, of course… But it won't matter… I have control over the Avatar Spirit… The power of the whole world is now mine… With one strike, you and your friends would be blown clean across the earth…**_"

Everyone angrily stepped back, afraid of the monster that had appeared right before them.

"_You're wrong, Zhao!_" Zuko vehemently denied. "_It was Azula who mastered the four elements—not you! Even with the Avatar Spirit, you don't have the skill to Waterbend, Earthbend, or Airbend! The only element you could possibly use is fire!_"

Zhao smiled. "_**How observant of you… Yes… You are right… But even with fire alone, the combination of all the Avatars allows me to bend it at impossible scales… And there's something else I've learned… Watching Azula, I have mastered the motions and mindsets needed to perform this skill… I can generate lightning…**_"

And just to prove his point, Zhao rotated his left arm and extended his two fingers into the sky.

_**ZRAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!**_

.

~o0o~

.

Zhao chuckled to himself as soon as everyone got his message.

"_**With this much energy, I'm able to hold a lightning strike for an indefinite period of time… Imagine that… A continuous stream of lightning that never ended… And I can do it instantly, with no long rotating hand motions to complicate things…**_"

Zuko didn't care about this stupid rant. "_Let her go, Zhao!_"

"_**I'm afraid that the last battle we had was not quite finished…**_" Zhao spoke. "_**I remember it perfectly… We were in the North Pole and you had me at flame-point… I ordered you to strike me, but you were too weak to try… That was where we ended—right before the Ocean Spirit took my life… I'm afraid the game must continue… And since I gave you your chance to strike me the last time, I believe it is now my turn to strike you… And believe me… I will not be so weak…**_"

Zhao aimed two of his fingers at Zuko.

But Zuko was suddenly grabbed by the wind.

.

~o0o~

.

_**ZRAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!**_

Everyone was running as fast as they could. Katara used the surrounding puddles to do a water run. Toph and Sokka rode on one earth wave while Suki and Haru rode another. Zuko was flying on a plume of white fire. Aang was sped across the send on his ball of air. And behind them was Zhao's lightning that struck the ground behind them. The piercing sound could break the ears. The lightning itself was so controlled and maintained that Zhao drew dug-out scorch lines all over the ground.

Everyone could feel the heat of the lightning from the ground to their feet.

"_Zuko!_" Sokka suddenly shouted. "_We know how to disrupt the connection with the Avatar Spirit! You have to shoot lightning at Zhao! It's the only way!_"

Zuko and Aang were aghast.

"_But my sister's still there!_" Zuko shouted.

"_And the last time that happened, I nearly lost the Avatar Spirit! If we do that, the Avatar dies!_" Aang spoke.

Sokka knocked his head with his fist. They were right. He couldn't do that. They were all stuck with running around in circles and feeling the heat of Zhao's lightning through their feet.

Behind them, Zhao was laughing as he attacked.

"_**Ha! Ha!**_" he squealed.

_**ZRAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!**_

.

~o0o~

.

"_I have a plan!_" Sokka suddenly shouted. "_I have a brilliant, genius, plan!_"

For some reason they couldn't fathom, Sokka's words somehow lightened there hearts. Knowing that there was somehow a way to defeat this gave comfort to them and made all of them ready to commit to their last stand. Sokka had a way with making people smile.

.

~o0o~

.

The group had separated into two as per Sokka's plan. Zuko, Katara, and Aang would return and try to hold Zhao. Sokka had already given them instructions and their basic purpose was detainment until the final move. Sokka, Toph, Suki, and Haru would devise Sokka's "trap". Though Sokka had been sketchy about the details, he assured all of them that, if it worked, they would succeed in separating Zhao from Azula.

"What if it doesn't work?" Aang asked.

Sokka raised a brow. "Then you'll have to find another guy with a good plan."

There were no questions after that. Now was the time to move. Toph, Sokka, Suki, and Haru were sliding on their earth waves as they moved down the beach, towards the shoreline.

"How's your plan going to work exactly?" asked a very skeptic Toph.

Sokka answered simply. "We're going to _shock_ Zhao."

Toph raised a doubtful brow. "_With lightning_? I though Aang and Zuko told you not to use lightning on Zhao? We could destroy the Avatar forever!"

Sokka nodded. "But we're not going to shock Zhao directly. We're only going to do enough damage to separate his connection with the Avatar Spirit. Once we do that, I guess we win."

This wasn't enough to satisfy their curiosity. "Sokka," Suki reasoned. "You have to let us in on this plan of yours. We _need_ to know."

Sokka smiled. "What we're going to do is quite technical. Toph, if you remember, my sword got struck with lightning. We saw and felt the lightning get absorbed into it the ground. Metal has the ability to channel lightning energy the same way Zuko redirects it."

To Suki and Haru, understanding what Sokka was teaching them was too hard to swallow as they did not exactly see it happen. But Toph had felt it happen and knew that what Sokka was saying was the truth.

"So what?" Toph questioned. "So what if metal can channel lightning? I still don't see a plan in this. I still don't see a trap."

"Think about it first," said Sokka. "Metal has the ability to transfer lightning from one end to the other. We saw it happen to my sword as the lightning transferred to the ground. But what if instead of transferring the lightning into the ground, we send it _back_ at Zhao."

Suki scratched her head. "I can believe the metal part, but how are you going to bring the lightning back at Zhao?"

"We're going to make a large metal platform," Sokka relayed. "We'll hide it under the sand so Zhao does not see it. Connected to the metal platform is a long series of metal pipes and tubes. These pipes end at a long rod sticking out of the ground. Aang, Katara, and Zuko lead Zhao onto the metal platform. And when Zhao's not looking, Zuko sends a charge of lightning into the metal rod. The lightning goes down the rod, through the pipes, and into the platform. Once it reaches the platform…"

"_ZAP!_" Toph exclaimed proudly, as she finished Sokka's plan. "Zhao becomes smoked chicken!"

Sokka smiled. "Exactly. And the best part is, since sand is covering the platform, Zhao doesn't feel the full force of the lightning. Zhao's separated, the Avatar Spirit is alive, and we all win—_foolproof!_"

Haru was still skeptical. "But _where_ are we going to get all that metal?"

Toph and Haru suddenly stopped Earthbending as they could not move any further. A large metallic object was blocking their way. It was only when they arrived here that everything began to fall into place and that everything made so much sense. Sokka raised a finger and pointed at its bulk.

Sokka smiled and said, "_That…_"

.

~o0o~

.

_When I give the signal, you are to shoot lightning at whatever I'm pointing at… For the meantime, you guys have to still until we can set up the trap…_

Those were the only instructions Sokka had said to Zuko before the group split in two. Sokka had not given them a deadline on when they would finish the trap. Hopefully it would be soon. Zhao was having too much fun with them. And with Zhao having all the power, only Aang would be strong enough to cause a small scratch at least.

_**ZRAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!**_

Aang raised a thick column of earth from deep within the sand then quickly moved out of the way. The lightning struck it with tremendous force, obliterating it completely, leaving very little traces. Aang spun to the side and rolled on his air ball. Zuko was in the air, trying to match Zhao's firepower with his small bursts of white fire. Katara bended the nearby water puddles and blasted them at Zhao.

Zhao eradicated them all with a pulsed fireball.

An amazing display of bending was at work.

Aang and Katara siphoned large amounts of seawater from the sea, creating a large wave. The two dragged it across the land as they ran, holding its crest high in the night air. As soon as they were in proximity to Zhao, they dropped their entire load and watched as the towering water collapsed on itself, spreading across the beach, and onto Zhao's small form.

Zhao rooted his stance, took a firm step forward, and without breaking his root, punched his fist at the oncoming surge of water. A pulse of super-compressed energy ignited at the crown of his knuckles, expanding into an enormous blowtorch—smoking the water in the process.

Zuko shot forward.

Zuko hovered over the ground, swerving left and right to dodge Zhao's blasts. In his hands was a small kept fire that Zuko had been saving especially for Zhao. He cradled it in his hands as he moved. And just as he was about to fire, Aang jumped in beside him and Firebended alongside each other. Aang's Firebending augmented Zuko's concentrated blast, increasing the concussive properties of the fire.

Zhao leaped into the air and struck the ground with his bare fist.

The sand on the ground blew out of the way as fire from beneath it erupted out. The fire escalated from Zhao's position, rising higher and higher into the air, growing in size with each passing second. When it had collided with the blast of its enemies, it was unmatched. The blast appeared so big that it swallowed Zuko and Aang's fire blast.

Zhao rotated both of his arms.

_**ZRAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!**_

Zuko, Aang, and Katara regrouped. Both were panting heavily as their energies were being exhausted bit by bit. Aang glared at Zhao and said to his friends, "_Guys, I'm going to need a lift! Katara! Help me up!_"

Aang crouched and spun on his knees, collecting all the nearby water as it spiraled together. A water spout forced Aang into the air. Katara helped it along by increasing the size of the spout, adding more and more water into the mix. Aang looked like a cannon ball with water trailing behind it. When there wasn't anymore water to support the push, Katara stopped feeding the water and called it back. Aang was still traveling in the air with no hint of stopping.

Zuko came in next as he rocketed into the air, catching Aang on the shoulders. He tugged on his body and jetted even higher, clearing the ground below. It took a few seconds before Zuko's flame had reached its limited altitude. When this was reached, the fire on his heels reverted back to orange. Zuko pulled and threw Aang with his last ounce of strength before moving back down.

Aang left the last bit to himself.

With Zuko throwing him higher into the air, Aang was able to move into a spin. He used the corkscrewing motion to propel him even higher. Once he stopped Airbending, it took a few moments for Aang to shake off his velocity and for gravity to take control. He was so high up that Zhao thought he was scraping the stars.

Finally, Aang began to plummet.

With Airbending to help increase his downward speed, Aang descended rapidly. He was traveling so fast that the nearby mountainside ripped apart with each of Aang's passing. The air in front of him was beginning to compress. Zhao could already feel the effects from his side.

Zhao attacked the oncoming missile.

Aang crashed first.

The impact forced dust and debris to eject into the sky. The earth began to roll as the impact spread outwards. Zhao was thrown from center to the side, his back hitting a steep mountain wall. A sudden shock returned to Zhao. He screamed in agony. _Pain_. Zhao felt pain. Due to the attachment he had with Azula, he could feel pain again. He had not felt it in a long time. Reality sought ways to refresh him.

Zhao stood up, swearing he was going to take it all back.

.

~o0o~

.

Aang's actions were not without consequence. When Katara and Zuko found him, he was three feet in his crater, half buried in soil and sand. The ice shell that coated his upper torso and healed his scar had already shattered off. Aang was awake despite his pain. He was even strong enough to dig himself out. The only problem was his limp left leg that had been hard to control throughout his entire maneuver in the sky.

The three of them took their places, ready to confront Zhao once more.

"_How long is Sokka's plan taking…?_" Katara panicked as she whispered. "_Aang can't hold on much longer…_"

Aang growled beneath his breath. "_You worry about Sokka… I can take care of myself…_"

"_Fight when this is over_," Zuko remarked. "_Zhao is getting up…_"

Zhao walked towards them as he stared with those bright white eyes of his. He was visibly angry and scorned. The way he moved meant that the man, despite his fall and attacks, had not exhausted himself—while his enemies were tired to the bone. Zhao was going to make an attack, but this time, there would be little warning and little chance of fighting back. He stopped walking as soon as he stepped onto a puddle of water.

"_**All of you seem to be exhausted…**_" Zhao noticed. "_**You children kept throwing yourselves at me! Now, you've sacrificed first-strike with your recklessness and anger… You children are such fools… Now, you are all wasted…**_"

But Zhao also noticed that they didn't back down from their fight. These children were ready to put their lives on the line just to stop them. But why would they unless they were sure they could take him down. That was unlikely. The Waterbender was deprived of large quantities of water. Zuko was more or less tired from his Firebending. And the Airbender was too hurt to even deal a killing stroke. Then what other reason was there that would explain their reckless behavior?

There was only one.

Zhao laughed suddenly. "_**I understand your game now—and I'm glad I understood quickly…**_"

Aang, Zuko, and Katara tensed. Had Zhao guessed?

"_**For a moment, I wondered why your other friends would not help you… I figured that they were cowards… But I can see now that that isn't the case… You three have been distracting me all along, preventing me from understanding what your other friends were scheming…**_"

Aang was the first one to recover. "_Stop trying to fool us with your words, Zhao! Fight us now!_"

Zhao laughed even more. "_**Too late, Airbender… Once a secret is revealed, it can never be taken back… Your attempt to remedy the situation was poor… I can see now that to defeat you, I must defeat your 'plan'. And to do that, I have to take away the lives of your other friends… And I can also see them from my point of view… They seem to be working by the airship… Imagine the shock they're going to receive…**_"

Zuko, Katara, and Aang had no choice now. The three of them began to retreat away from Zhao, towards Sokka and the others. They had to warn them. Each one of them began riding on their elements. They would have made it too. In fact, they were a few meters away from them.

But lightning is always faster.

"_Aang!_" Katara screamed. "_What are you doing?_"

Aang had stopped running and turned around. He was readying his stance with two fingers extended forward. Katara was familiar with this stance. It was the stance both Zuko and Aang used to redirect lightning. "_You guys keep running!_" Aang ordered. "_Make sure Sokka finishes the plan!_"

"_Aang, no!_" Katara shouted. "_Your body can't take any large amount of lightning! A lightning blast could kill you!_

_**ZRAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!**_

.

~o0o~

.

The reason why Zhao waited until Zuko and his friends were close to the others was because he wanted to take all of them down with one shot. If one got hit, anyone close enough would get hit from stray bolts. All Zhao needed to do was repeat it again until all of them were down.

Zhao rotated his arms and aimed it at the children by the airship.

But the Airbender was blocking his line of sight.

Zhao shrugged nonchalantly.

If it took one Airbender to get to the rest of them, so be it. He was meant to disappear anyway. Zhao was so excited about the idea that he believed this was about to be his final act, his killing stroke. Zhao gathered all his energy, split them apart, and sent them out of his fingers. He was using two hands now. And this time, Zhao applied a continuous stream of energy to it so the lightning would never die.

_**ZRAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!**_

Zhao watched as lightning exploded from his fingertips. The Airbender was out of luck.

But somebody changed the target at the last second.

Zuko had pushed Aang to the side, knocking him away from Zhao's blast. Aang was just as surprised as Zhao to find out Zuko had toppled him over. Zuko quickly took the right stance and caught the lightning within his fingers. Zuko had saved Aang's life.

And Zuko gave out a horrible cry.

.

~o0o~

.

To his horror, Zuko could not completely contain the energy of lightning that surged down his fingers. The lightning was overwhelming. It seemed to have its own mission. The Zuko spent all of his effort trying to force the lightning into his sea of chi—but the lightning could not be forced so easily. Zhao applied so much force that it was directed to go _straight_. Zuko did everything in his power to bypass it around his heart. The effort itself should have killed him.

In the end, there was so much energy that Zuko could not redirect it back to Zhao. The lightning chose to go straight. And out it went, from his stomach, up his shoulder, and into his arms. The lightning left his body and traveled out.

Unknown to Zuko, he had redirected the energy directly behind him—_to the airship_.

.

~o0o~

.

"We've got the pipes and rods connected," said Haru. "Suki and I have placed them in the spot you told us to. I covered it with sand and it looks clean. The only thing seen is the metal rod sticking out of the sand. We're done with our half."

Sokka nodded as he heard this report. "That leaves the platform as the last missing part." Sokka then turned to Toph. "We're going to need you on this one. We'll need you to cut off a large flat metal panel from the ship. With Metalbending, this should be quite easy for you."

Toph rolled her eyes. "You're telling us to do stuff but you're doing nothing. This isn't 'teamwork'. This is you giving orders."

"Hey!" Sokka retorted, taking offense from that statement. "I'm an integral part of this plan! I'm the manager!"

Toph immediately set to work. Because the airship was sitting in water, Toph did not dare step on it. Instead, she decided to do remote Metalbending—the ability to bend metal without being in contact or without being near it. Toph had to exert more effort though and it was required that she "feel" her way around the metal without touching it.

Carefully, Toph extended her hand at the airship. Her hand seemed to be reaching for it. Then, she grasped for the air and pulled her fist back. Sokka, Suki, and Haru were amazed to see that bolts and seams began to pop off. A large, rectangular metal panel was being ripped part from the rest of the ship. The ripping noise Toph did made the entire airship groan.

Sokka was not happy about that groaning.

"Be gently," Sokka sarcastically suggested. "There are still some bombs in that airship. If we're not careful, we could force one of them to explode and all of us could be blown to smithereens."

Toph groaned as she pulled the panel even harder. "You're one to talk and yet you're doing _nothing!_"

Then, Suki was tapping on Sokka's shoulder. "Sokka… we might have a problem… Why is your sister, Aang, and Zuko running this way…?"

Sokka was startled. He told them to distract. He turned to face them and realized that Zhao was right behind them. No. This was definitely _not_ part of the plan. They weren't ready yet! The platform wasn't even in place! This was the first of Sokka's plans to collapse in front of his eyes.

Sokka then saw the lightning. Aang was supposed to catch it, but Zuko pushed him aside and took the lightning instead. There was a struggle to hold the lightning, but Zuko eventually overcame that. But what horrified Sokka the most was the fact that Zuko had not redirected the lightning to a safe location. Instead, the lightning shot out of his fingers and struck a part of the airship.

The lightning precisely struck the metal panel Toph was trying to rip out.

_**ZRAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!**_

"_Sokka!_" Toph screamed. "_I can feel the lightning in the metal!_"

Sokka was more than frightened now. "_Toph! You have to rip the metal panel out NOW!_"

"What's the matter?" Haru asked.

"_It's the airship!_" Sokka answered. "_The airship is made of metal! The lightning will move all around it! And once it enters the bomb bay, it'll detonate the bombs! We'll all die from the massive explosion!_"

Everyone understood. The lightning would heat up the bombs and force them to detonate. But if Toph pulled off the metal panel, it would sever the connection between the lightning and the rest of the airship. The lightning will be contained within the metal panel and nowhere else.

"_Toph!_" Sokka shouted. "_You have to break the connection!_"

"_I'M WORKING!_" Toph shouted.

The metal gnashed against one another and the panel was suddenly ripped out, breaking the connection. The airship was no longer energized. The panel was floating above the ground only through Toph's will. But it wasn't over. The stream of lightning was continuous and Zhao had not stopped. The energy was erratically increasing, making sharp lightning sparks to shoot out of the super-charged metal panel. The metal panel could not contain the energy. It was best if they diverted the energy elsewhere.

"_Toph!_" Sokka ordered as the little blind Earthbender struggled to hold the metal panel in the air. "_Toph! You have to bring the metal on the ground so the lightning can escape out of the metal!_"

"_I'll try!_" she spoke.

Toph then lowered her position and fists. Slowly, the metal panel was being brought down from the air. There was a struggle, though. The lightning was an impossibly powerful one. Though its energies were being channeled through the metal, its force was still pushing the metal panel away. It was only by Toph's sheer Metalbending prowess that allowed her to control it in midair.

But Toph could not bring it all the way down.

"_I can't lower it any further!_" Toph shouted. "_The lightning's too strong!_"

This time, it was Sokka's turn to contribute. He quickly unsheathed his space sword. He took aim at the metal panel. Once he was sure it would hit, he twirled his sword into the air like a disk. Sokka gave it his all. So when the space sword perfectly pierced the metal panel, Sokka's throw forced the panel down. The final conclusion was that Sokka's space sword allowed the lightning to divert into it.

And the space sword, after piercing the metal panel, ended up striking a large saltwater puddle—_where all the lightning was collected_.

.

~o0o~

.

"_Sokka!_" Katara cried as she arrived by her brother's side. "_Are you alright!_"

Sokka was on his knees, staring at the pool of saltwater. He was greatly disappointed. His plan failed miserably. All that was lacking was the platform. But the lightning strike ruined it. And if Zhao had been looking their way, he would have noticed them scheming. Sokka's plan had been brought to an abrupt end. Now, they were plan-less.

"That was my only plan, Katara…" Sokka sulked. "And now, it's completely wasted."

Katara placed a motherly hand on Sokka's shoulders. "It'll be okay, Sokka… There's still hope… We can still improvise…"

Improvise…

As Katara said this, Sokka began noticing odd things happening on the saltwater puddle. As Zhao continued to apply lightning through the metal panel and down his sword, it appeared the lightning had somehow _transferred_ into the water. Surges of energy began to appear on the water's surface. Arcs of lightning seemed to hop from one spot to the other. The water seemed to be _charged_. Impurities in the saltwater allowed this property to happen.

Sokka stood up, amazed. "The water is _also_ acting like the metal! It's channeling lightning as well!"

And idea was beginning to form in Sokka's mind. "Katara! The water is channeling the water like metal—but appears to be at a lesser power. If you could strike Zhao with this water without breaking the connection of the puddle, then maybe we could break Zhao's hold on the Avatar Spirit!"

Katara nodded.

Slowly, a water tentacle began to rise out of the pool. It was sparking with lightning.

Katara thrashed and quickly threw it at Zhao.

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~o0o~

.

To everyone's surprise, the stream of water did not reach Zhao. The stream of energized water stopped midway. Aang had seen and heard what they were doing and decided to pitch in. When Katara attacked Zhao with that elongated water tentacle, Aang went in the way of the stream's path. Aang extended his right arm out towards it and caught the water tentacle.

The water tentacle coated his right arm.

Aang felt the surge of energy travel within the water. There was lightning there and the energy from it made the water sting terribly. Already, Aang was getting electrocuted on his right arm. The lightning was beginning to affect his body in other ways too. Aang had experienced one too many lightning strikes and as soon as he touched this electrified water, Aang knew this was already his limitation.

Katara shouted out to him.

"_Aang! What are you doing? The lightning will kill you!_"

Instantly, Aang used his left two fingers to trace the path of the energy from his right arm, down to his stomach, up his left shoulder, and out his two fingers. The energy was converted back into pure, raw lightning.

_**ZRAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!**_

Aang had aimed for Zhao.

Well, not exactly.

Aang had aimed for the puddle of water Zhao was standing on.

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~o0o~

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_**ZRAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!**_

The lightning, which came from Zhao's unlimited reserves of universal power, shot out from his fingers and struck Zuko, who redirected it onto the crashed airship. The lightning was absorbed into the metal panel Toph had been Metalbending and was diverted into a puddle of water by Sokka's space sword. Katara used the water's ability to channel lightning and sent it to strike Zhao down. Aang, however, caught it and converted it back to pure electricity. Once this was done, he shot it at Zhao.

The lightning blast had now gone full circle.

Although none of them knew it at the time, Zhao, Zuko, Toph, Sokka, Katara, and Aang created the world's first open electric circuit without breaking their connections. Who knew?

.

~o0o~

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And Zhao screamed in more agony.

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**Fire Nation, Grand Plaza, Royal Palace, (early morning)**

"_He escaped…?_" asked the Water Tribesman.

Iroh nodded. "He knew well that the Fire Nation was going to be recaptured. He decided to escape through the underground chambers… Even if we fought him, he was able to defeat us. At least none of us were hurt. But we couldn't find him. I want every one of your men to double check the ports and make sure everyone's names are listed down… My brother is still here… We will hunt him down…"

"Yes, General Iroh," saluted the Water Tribesman.

"There's also another thing," Iroh added. "I seem to have noticed that very little of your men have arrived at the capital. Also, you do not resemble Chief Hakkoda at all… He was the man we sent here…"

The Water Tribesman smiled. "I am his second-in-command, Bato. Chief Hakkoda is leading the other half of the troops in a mission of his own."

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**Southern Air Temple, Base of the mountain, (early morning)**

The moment Zhao saw through his eyes, he scrambled to get up and understand his bearings. He walked around, trying to understand what had happened. Out of rage, he began to punch things. But to his horror, nothing happened. There was no fire. Somehow, he had been separated.

_No!_

Zhao frantically looked around, searching for Azula's body. He _needed_ that power back. He had to merge again!

And Zhao caught sight of Azula's body lying right beside him. He reached for her, but there was a slight problem. Azula had grabbed his hand.

When Azula looked up to face him, her eyes were open and they were shining white. Azula was still in the Avatar State. Zhao smiled. _Yes!_ That meant that he could still merge with her.

But Azula didn't seem to let go of Zhao's hand.

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~o0o~

.

Aang, Toph, Katara, Haru, Sokka, Suki and Zuko watched as the two struggled, hoping Azula would make the right decision and hoping that Zhao would not become Avatar once more. The battle didn't seem to be over, but they wanted it to be. Everyone was tired.

"_Let go of my hand, Azula!_" Zhao shouted. "_Remember, you have failed! The only acceptable cause left is to allow me control over the Avatar Spirit!_"

But Azula didn't look like she was in a mood. Her anger had been building up inside her body ever since Zhao took over her. Quickly, she placed a hand on Zhao's forehead.

Zhao trembled in his place as he felt the hand on his forehead. "_Azula? What are you doing? Place that hand away! PLACE THAT HAND—AH! NO!_"

Zhao screamed in agony once more. He was helpless now and he couldn't move. He couldn't get out of her grasp. Her touch had immobilized him. And then, Zhao watched as the color from his form begin to fade away. A charge went up his body. He was disappearing from this world and into the next.

And the last thing Zhao saw was those furious glowing eyes of Azula.

Then, just like that, Zhao was erased from the face of the world.

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~o0o~

.

As soon as Zhao disappeared, so did the glow in Azula's eyes. The Avatar State subsided until finally, Azula was back to the way she was. The young Firebender lay there motionless on the sand. Azula was unconscious and appeared that way to all of them.

And in the end, Zhao's predictions were correct. He had indeed gained ultimate power, for however short the time. Also, someone's soul was indeed lost. Zhao just didn't expect the soul to be his.

"Did…" Toph spoke. "Did Azula just save us…?"

Zuko shook his head. "She didn't save us. She just wanted Zhao out of the way. She was angry. It was nothing more than revenge to her."

"But she did stop Zhao," Katara said.

"Yes."

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~o0o~

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_Suddenly, Aang stood up from his fallen position since he redirected lightning. Everyone watched and grew silent as he slowly limped towards Azula. On the final step, Aang stumbled on the sand. For a moment, he was still. Then, he used his arms to push himself up. Carefully, Aang placed both his hands on Azula—one on her forehead and the other on her neckline._

_The ground slowly began to shake.__ The world began to shake._

_Aang and Azula's bodies glowed in the influence of their own spiritual nature._

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~o0o~

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_The sky was half red and half blue-white…_

_**Azula's spirit was completely broken…**_

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~o0o~

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_When the lights faded and the dark night sky returned, everyone watched as Aang stood up from the ground, appearing stronger than ever. With his power, he had retrieved the Avatar Spirit and took away Azula's Firebending—so she could never use it again._

_Aang turned around and faced all of them._

The Avatar returns.

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~o0o~

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Toph tapped her foot on the sand. "Well this is bitter-sweet. But is it _really_ over…?"

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**Southern Air Nomad Territory, Approaching the Southern Air Temple, (early morning)**

General Shu spotted the enemies through his spyglass. He lowered it and began to sigh satisfyingly to himself. At last, he was here. It had taken a few trials before they found a route wide enough for the fleet of ships to pass through. But now that they had arrived, things would go smoothly now. He had already armed three catapults. The enemies wouldn't know what hit them until they saw the fireballs in the sky..

"How much further?" asked General Shu to the navigator. He was asking how much more to go before they were in firing range of their targets.

"Not long now," said the navigator. "A few more meters at most."

An officer approached him. "Sir, we have a problem with…uh…seaweeds…"

General Shu kept his concern at his targets as he raised and lowered his spyglass. Nonchalantly, he answered: "If you have problems with the food, take it up with the cook, not me…"

"I'm afraid that's not it, sir," said the officer. "There's seaweed in our propellers and engines… The seaweed…well… It's attacking us…"

.

~o0o~

.

General Shu ran out of the bridge and grabbed the ends of his hairs the moment he saw what he saw. A giant green seaweed monster was rampaging through his fleet. With its "hands" it took hold of some of the ship's catapults and ripped them off the deck. Some of the ships were already sunken in the shallow waters. Soldiers were floating all over the water.

Suddenly, the ship began to rock—as if something struck it.

An engineer appeared beside him, frantic. "_Sir! We're taking on water! There's a huge hole in the bow of the ship! We've been hit! If we don't jump ship now, the ship could take us along with it!_"

General Shu tried to make sense of the situation. "_How is this happening?_"

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**Southern Air Temple, Base of the mountain, (early morning)**

"_DAD! DAD! OVER HERE!_" Sokka shouted.

Three large whale-like submarines anchored itself on the shores of the island. Dozens of Water Tribe men and other assorted Foggy Swamp Tribe people got out of the machines and ran up to the children with arms wide and smiles wider. Above them, two airplanes from the remaining air fleet circled around the beach before making a hard landing. The pilots were then congratulated and everyone began to mix. A reunion was in order as Mai, Ty Lee, and General Shinu also appeared from within the submarines.

Sokka, Katara, Zuko, Aang, Suki, Toph, and Haru gathered around Chief Hakkoda.

"I'm glad we made it just in time," Hakkoda commented. "I thought for sure we would have been too late…"

"On time?" Sokka questioned. "But dad, you came in the moment the battle was over!"

"You may think that," Hakkoda said, "But it's not true. Our half of the Water Tribe troops rescued the two ships that you had used as a diversion. Most, if not all of them, are alive and well… And aside from that, Huu and the other Swampbenders stopped a small fleet of Fire Nation flagships that were headed this way. Huu clogged their propellers with seaweed to stop them from moving. We struck them with torpedoes and forced them to surrender…"

Sokka and Katara ran up to their father and hugged him tightly.

"_Welcome back, dad…_" said Katara and Sokka in unison. Chief Hakkoda smiled and patted his children on the shoulders. Then, he hugged them back, making sure there was love warm enough to share.

And then, Chief Hakkoda turned to Aang. He saw him for what he was—the Avatar. And he smiled at this. He reached out to Aang and shook his hand, silently thanking him for protecting his family. Aang only smiled back, but there was an acknowledgement between the two. Ideas were not hard to convey.

Hakkoda then asked, "Aang, I need to know… _We _need to know… Is the war over…? Is the war _finally_ over…?"

Everyone quieted down and turned to Aang. They were all waiting for his answer. But instead of paying attention to the chieftain, Aang was looking beyond their faces and into the backdrop of mountains. A bright light appeared from behind them and the sky slowly turned blue. Aang pointed at the horizon with jubilance.

"_Look!_" he said. "_The sun is rising… It's a new day…_"

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_The true mind can weather all the lies and illusions without being lost…_

_The true heart can touch the poison of hatred without being harmed…_

_Since beginning-less time, darkness thrives in the void…_

_But always yields to purifying light…_

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**Fire Nation, Capital City, Industrial Harbor, (three days later)**

A small group of Fire Nation patrons gathered in front of the Empire-class Fire Navy ship. Its front ramp slowly slid down until it connected with the ground. Steam was the first to exit through its opening. Then, the royal procession appeared. Iroh watched the whole thing and found it quite monotonous and boring. But there was no mistaking the anxiety in the old man's heart. Iroh was excited. He was trying to peer through the shadows of the ship to see if he was there.

Then, the drums began to play.

_Dum!_

_Dum!_

_Dum!_

_Dum!_

Then, after a rising crescendo, Zuko—in full ceremonial robes—stepped out of the shadows and into the light, his face stern and powerful. Mai was by his side, holding his hand. Everyone on the ground began clapping as one. Iroh was unashamed to shed some tears of his own. And for some reason, Iroh thought Zuko would not see him among the crowd. But he was proven wrong after all.

The first person Zuko locked eyes with were Iroh's

Zuko smiled at his Uncle first. And once Zuko was off the ramp and onto the harbor, he unceremoniously abandoned all formal decorum and embraced Iroh, long and hard. The two shared a wonderful moment. Those that had gathered clapped even more when the two came together. They were clapping for them.

"_Welcome home…_" Iroh whispered warmly. "_Welcome back…_"

.

~o0o~

.

Zuko and Iroh stayed with some of the officers even if the crowd had gone away. Mai went ahead as she still had to greet her family. Zuko bid her a momentarily farewell before returning by Iroh's side. Nobody gathered around the last ship affairs as they were mainly logistics, like the dropping off of cargo, prisoners, armory, and fuel.

"I can understand why mother doesn't want to be here," Zuko spoke. But in a way, he was mostly disappointed. "I guess she took it hard, huh…?"

Iroh nodded. "Azula's actions have affected us all. But your mother was the most wounded. I believe she's waiting for you at the palace, so don't you worry. As soon as you're done overseeing this transfer, then, we can leave."

Zuko was rubbing his forehead. "But I still have problems… My father… Have there been any sightings from him…?"

Iroh shook his head. "Our men have searched the entire palace and the city itself. We believe that he has moved onto the other islands. Evidence and eye-witnesses say that they have seen your father, but most cases are conflicting. What I'm really worried about is if your father slips out of the Fire Nation and into the vast Earth Kingdom, where no one can find him for sure. Tightening the docks and harbors for security might help."

Zuko nodded. "I just hope my father can be found before he causes anymore chaos."

On another note, Iroh said, "Here comes our high priority prisoner now… Look alive, Zuko… And watch your men…"

"There have been surprising changes," Zuko noted to Iroh. "In her cell, she seemed quiet and tame, unlike her last behavior when she lost everything after the day Sozin's Comet arrived. And she was the one who stopped Zhao."

"Out of anger," corrected Iroh. "She saved herself and saved the world by accident. Don't consider anything else."

"Yes," Zuko admitted. "Azula is one of those irredeemable people… Some people are so negatively influenced that when they go against their own nature, they lose themselves completely… People have to be worthy of redemption before they can be saved… Azula has nothing yet to prove of this… But even though some people cannot be saved, at least _all_ people can be stopped."

Iroh smiled. "But who knows? After all, I'm not the only great grandchild of Avatar Roku… Maybe something will happen that will change things for the better…"

The first prisoner to step onto the ramp had shackles on both feet and hands. Four Imperial Firebending guards flanked the prisoner on all sides. Her short hair dangled in front of her face. Azula's head bounced with each step, like she was some sort of doll. She wore the standard prisoner's outfit. And even in these conditions—what with her powerless and her bending taken away—everyone was ordered to treat her hostile in case she attacked.

Zuko approached her.

But someone blew past him and bumped him on the shoulders. She apologized, saying: "_I'm sorry, Zuko!_" It was his mother, Ursa. She appeared from out of nowhere and head walked ahead of him.

Ursa briskly walked ahead, taking great strides. She was angry and at the same time, determined. Her anger seemed to be directed at Azula. Her hands were in fists and she looked convincingly menacing. The Imperial Firebenders cautiously stepped aside. Azula stared at her approaching mother with wide eyes.

Azula was also smiling widely, her teeth showing.

"_WHY?!_" Ursa suddenly screamed as she reached her daughter and shook her angrily on the shoulders. "_WHY DID YOU DO IT?!_"

Azula did not answer, but instead, allowed her mother to shake her so violently. Her head just went side to side as she shook. She didn't seem to be in control of her movements. Her smile only grew wider and there was a small laugh that came from her clenched teeth. She seemed to be enjoying it.

"_ANSWER ME, AZULA!_" Ursa demanded. Tears were running down from her cheeks. Her shaking only grew worse. "_WAS IT MY FAULT THAT FORCED YOU TO BECOME LIKE THIS? WAS IT I WHO INDIRECTLY MADE YOU ATTACK MY SON AND HIS FRIENDS?_"

Azula just enjoyed the shaking more. She appeared to be holding in laughter.

That was until she opened her mouth to actually laugh.

Something rolled out of Azula's hand and landed on the ground. It was shiny and metallic. Azula's sweat covered the most of it, but everyone could see it in the morning sun. It was a small bar of metal with four holes in it. Somehow, Azula had managed to slip it past security and bring it along with her.

_It was a brass knuckle._

Azula caught herself laughing and stopped. She stared at the object and suddenly sobbed. Small tears began to slide down her face. She cried noisily and caught everyone's attention. Then, from out of nowhere, Ursa reached out and hugged her. She too was crying, their foreheads on each other.

Their tears began to mix.

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**Earth Kingdom, Ba Sing Se, Western Harbor, (three days later)**

"_Are you sure you guys don't want to come down for a second and spend a day in the city…?_" Toph trembled as she stepped down the ramp and onto fresh soil. She felt like she was going to cry.

Sokka and Suki stayed on the boat, smiling down at her. "Sorry, Toph. You knew we'd never get off the boat once we reached the Earth Kingdom. And you knew how hard I had to convince my dad so I could accompany you here instead of flying with them home. Now, we still have to pass through the Southern Earth Kingdom and find a ferry there that'll take me to the South Pole. You should be happy we came along!"

"But what if my parents would be angry at me?" Toph reasoned. She was really delicate about this topic. "They didn't even answer any of my messages! I bet they're still angry at me for running away a _second_ time! You guys have to be there to convince them! I haven't seen them for awhile! Who knows what their reactions would be?"

Suki laughed. "All the more reason to go home…"

All around, Ba Sing Se was rebuilding. The carved route Azula had done to the city's walls would be converted into a large highway that would allow pedestrian passing between walls and earth-trains. And it wasn't just here. All over the world, the nations were rebuilding. Omashu was being restored. The North Pole was being rebuilt. The South Pole was undergoing reconstruction with plans for an even bigger city. The whole world was getting better—with no disappearing land whatsoever.

Toph was crying now. "_But what about you guys…? I have very little friends here in Ba Sing Se! Who am I going to talk to? When am I going to see you guys again? And how do I know you guys are coming back?_"

Sokka threw something at Toph and she caught it through her ability to detect metal.

"This is your boomerang," Toph retorted. "But you _love_ this thing… Why are you giving this to me?"

"That way," Sokka answered, "I have two reasons why I have to come back to Ba Sing Se ever so often…"

Toph pressed the boomerang into her chest. "But if I have the boomerang, then it won't come back to you anymore… And you always say that boomerang _always_ comes back…"

Sokka smiled. "Think of it this way… Because boomerang is with you, now _I'll_ always come back…"

The ship's horn blew. They were about to cast off again. Sokka and Suki waved their last goodbyes and Toph had no choice but to accept them. Of course, she did briefly consider destroying the boat and strand Sokka and Suki in Ba Sing Se, but her better judgment decided against it.

And Toph slowly turned around, making her way back home.

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**South Pole, Southern Water Tribe, (three days later)**

Aang watched quietly as Ummi lay quietly on the snow. Cold tears of loss started forming around her eyes again. Aang wished he knew what she was thinking, but he had a fairly good idea. The chills of winter winds were coming and even if the snow made everything appear beautiful, it also made people feel sad. The season intensified sadness somehow.

Then, on Aang's left peripheral vision, he caught sight of Appa, abashedly trying to approach Ummi. Appa was digging trough in the snow with its top right foot. He didn't know exactly how to approach the matter at hand.

Aang smiled, mentally cheering him on. _Come on, buddy… You can do it…_

Appa approached slowly, taking precautions and checking if Ummi did not want him in the territory at the moment. In another second, Appa decided that walking up to Ummi might probably make her feel uncomfortable. So, Appa hovered in the air as it slowly approached Ummi.

And just when the two were going to be beside each other, Appa landed on the snow—sending snow and ice flying into the air. One could say that the whole thing was a really bad move. Most of it landed on Ummi. Aang grimaced at the sight of Appa's mistake. Even Appa felt that it did some sort of wrong move.

Aang shook his head in dismay. _Wrong move, buddy…_

To try to remedy the mistake, Appa used its big nose to wipe the snow out of Ummi's fur, but Appa was also crossing personal boundaries. Ummi seemed irritated already. But Appa continued, this time, using his tongue to lick all over Ummi's face.

And Ummi liked it.

Aang smiled and was intrigued. This was a beautiful scene right here.

Appa and Ummi stared at each other with mutual interest. Appa had his tongue stuck out too.

And just when Aang thought something was going to happen between the two, something else did. With her nose, Ummi blew the nearby snow and covered Appa in a whole pile of it.

Aang couldn't help but laugh.

Then, a warm hand met his.

"Ah…" Katara smiled. "Watching animals in love, huh? Appa's going to have to work hard to get Ummi's attention…"

Aang smiled. "I think he's already doing it… And you know what? Seeing things like this makes me feel happy, feel safe, secure… When this whole thing began, I was worried about the air-taker and that it was me or something… But seeing Ummi, I realize that there's still hope for my people and our culture—that the Air Nomads haven't given up yet… Who knows? Maybe I'll find more of Ummi out there or flying lemurs. And maybe, I'll find an Airbender out there… I just have to keep looking…"

Katara smiled. "They're talking about you again, you know… But this time, it is to your credit not the Avatar's… You saved the world and no one can take that from you anymore."

Aang nodded.

"So what's going to happen now?" Katara asked. "I guess the world rebuilds. Hopefully, peace will last a lot longer this time. And you, Aang, where will you go?"

Aang scratched his head. "I guess the first thing I should do is rebuild each air temple from scratch. I might be away for some time. We'll still meet, of course, but I might come back during late spring. Hopefully, I'll be done by then."

Katara nodded. "And have you heard about Ozai."

Aang nodded. "We'll settle with that once he comes back. Zuko updates me on a regular basis. When he knows, I'll know."

For a moment, there was silence between the two. Only the falling snow made sounds.

"I don't really know if this is the end of the war," Katara spoke. "But it feels like one… And whenever I look back at the most meaningful moments in my life, they were all in the middle of this war. But to be there at its climax and end was truly something spectacular. But the most unforgettable moment of my life was there at the moment when the war turned for the better—when the Avatar returned. And I can see now that this was where it was headed.

"Now, the story has gone full circle. It began with the return of the Avatar and it ended with it too…"

Katara and Aang looked eyes and smiled. Blushes crept up their cheeks.

Then slowly, the two leaned forward and closed their eyes.

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_Autumn is the season of my people…_

_._

_The serenity of the season reflects the state of the world. And the world is at peace with itself. There is the usual hustle and bustle here and there. The noise from the earth kingdom markets is perpetual. The South Pole is being rebuilt to its former glory. And hundreds of soldiers are coming home._

_._

Zuko arrived at his room and placed his crown down as he stared outside the window. He was about to shut the door to get some privacy, when he turned around to find his mother staring warmly at him from the doorway. She smiled at him and welcomed him into her arms. Zuko hugged back without any thoughts entering his mind.

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_A wind blows through the naked trees. Heaps of snow are scattered throughout the land, making the ground appear white underneath the dimming sun._

_._

_Children are laughing. Their joys are quickly strangled by the ever-watchful mothers who tell them to go inside for dinner. 'Cooked pig today', say the mothers._

_._

There was a sudden knock on the door of the estate of the Bei Fongs. Lau Bei Fong and his wife approached it together. The two opened the door to find Toph at their front steps. She seemed apprehensive. But the parents were not. Immediately, they both grabbed their daughter, cleaning flecks of dirt on her cheek. They bring her inside and there is a surprise party being held. Pipsqueak, the Duke, Longshot, and Smellerbee were there.

Toph couldn't find the words to speak.

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_Just beyond the village is a long stretching line of people, carrying all their possessions. Smiles mark their faces and they greet one another with light hearts._

_._

_No one is hiding in fear._

_._

Sokka and Suki watched as fireworks were being lit above the city of Ba Sing Se. These fireworks commemorated those that had given their lives to help in the war effort. Sokka stared at all their colors and Suki rested her head on his shoulder. Both of them were entranced by the colors. Everybody onboard watched with awe.

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_I see the sun dimming out quickly, as if hurried by another entity. Autumn is finally leaving… Yes, autumn leaves… And the new season is setting in. Winter is setting in._

_._

_But not all peace comes fully intact._

_._

_There are rumors circulating around a particular Earth Kingdom village. It is disturbing news. A man has gotten himself lost in the wilderness while hunting for game. They search for him and when they find his body, it is a horrific sight. His skin is burned and blackened, as if placed in a furnace. And strangely enough, the young man, a proficient Earthbender, had lost his ability to bend. I know I have to do something about it, but I am tired. The Avatar is tired._

_._

_But I will see into the matter immediately, if not sooner._

_._

_I just hope it isn't a terrible problem. After all, what can be worse than stopping the end of the world?_

_._

_._

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_._

_._

Aang and Katara held that kiss, savoring the moment, and listening to the world go by…

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_To the average reader, this may just be the end of the story, but for every Avatard out there, that isn't true. Avatards know that the world of Avatar: the Last Airbender is too big to be finished, too amazing to be written by only one fanfic writer, and too diverse to be explained. To us, there are no happy endings, no conclusions and finales, no last paragraphs or chapters... The story goes on with or without us knowing._

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_But, yeah... I've ended my story here._

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**COMMENTS MEANT TO BE SAID BEFORE FINAL DISCUSSION**

**.**

First of all, my apologies... I've pissed a few people already. A lot of you must be wondering, "_does he know the meaning of '**a lot sooner**'? (for those readers who did not read my promise at the end of the last paragraph which I deleted, you can skip this rant_) There were a lot of mishaps that went wrong. I did not start typing this chapter during december as I was sick and that's vacation time for me. January was a slow time for writing as assignments piled together. So I'm sorry for this. To kathir, if you are reading this, then I'm sorry for the lateness... I could see that you were thoroughly pissed at me. Sorry for that.

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Secondly, **A SPECIAL MENTION TO MR. EDITDEATH** for acting as a critic to my story and critiquing the final chapter of book 4 after sending him my rough draft. He cited many things I got vague on, plot holes, things that were necessary for ending the story, and some minor suggestions to enrich the story plot. I thank you a lot sir and your abilities. Also, the guy saved this chapter when I lost my copy after breaking my USB drive. By sending him my rough draft, he had indirectly saved this chapter. That is why this chapter is more or less a **joint-project** with me and EditDeath.

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Finally, _why are people calling me Jacob? _Yes, that is my name, but I prefer Kojab8890 if none of you people mind. Internet privacy and all that...

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**A.F.D.P.**

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_The Avatar: Water_

This chapter happened to be a preface to the finale. I had thought about writing this down way before the first chapter of this fanfic. One of the most exciting parts of writing the first part of the finale was rewriting the narration Katara gave during the first episode of the show. It was nice to bring that back to a story with no opening narration. This chapter also brought out Aang's intense loneliness being the last Airbender and bringing things back to the beginning where Aang was trapped in the iceberg.

~The chapter also gave away a glimpse on Aang's task, its importance, and how things rebooted Aang's self-esteem. Toph was intended to get fatally wounded and revived. But the one thing I didn't plan on was using Zuko's lightning to jumpstart her heart. That idea was so spontaneous that I'm very proud of it.

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_The Avatar: Earth_

~This chapter focused on preparation--on both the protagonists and antagonists sides. This chapter gave focus on the scale of the Fire Nation army, how they reverted back to their old ways, and how large the armada guarding Azula was. Reunions were also set here and most of it was derived from the Day of Black Sun: The Invasion.

~A thing I would like to clear up: When Aang was with the Order of the White Lotus, **he did not become another Avatar**. Aang just used energybending to take the Pakku, Jeong Jeong, and Bumi's bending. Guru Pathik said something about him being avatar, but that was just a turn of the phrase.

~The airplane had been one of the first initial ideas I had during the conception of this fanfic. After all, with tanks, jet skis, submarines, gliders, gigantic tunnel borers, and airships, it was not hard to believe that somehow, the Mechanist decided to attach an engine to a glider and make it fly on its own.

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_The Avatar: Fire_

~This chapter is where I played director. Everything about this chapter was specifically about point of views. This was also one of those, "_can't-wait-till-I-type-this_" chapter. One of the scenes I usually dream about is the fleet of airplanes appearing out of the clouds and attacking the fleet of ships from the skies. When typing, I would often imagine myself with a video camera taking a shot of this particular part from the ground, the sky, the backdrop, or the people. It was an exhilarating change of perspective. The charging scenes were also influenced from the Day of Black Sun: Invasion and an army tactic in world war II known as the "Blitzkrieg".

~Friends sacrificing their lives for Aang was also a common theme surrounding this chapter. Though Aang did affect them the most, it was his friends who gave it all back to him. Casualties were common here too. Bending on a gigantic scale was also common here. Basically, this whole chapter was my paint and canvas.

~Lastly, my favorite part in the whole chapter was definitely the last part. Aang and Azula meeting up for the final duel sounded so cool at the time.

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_The Avatar: Air_

~This chapter had been one of the most trickiest chapters to write. Most of the themes here ended up becoming too conflicting. And it was only when I started writing this chapter did I realize that _I wasn't just ending my fanfic, **I was ending the entire Avatar series from book 1 too!**_ With this mindset, there was pressure and I didn't really understand how to summarize everything. One of the things I decided to do was insert relevant dialogues from previous books. I believe this helped.

~Blood was also something new added into the Avatar world. The addition of blood was a highly unnecessary but overly effective plot device in the story as it added a new level of drama. One example is the scene with Sokka gripping onto the blade of his sword. Readers may or may not feel the pain through the slicing, but the brutality is there and the pain is conveyed.

~Halfway through, I realized that the ideas and schemes I had planed for this chapter would not fit. It was then that I realized that a fifth chapter was in order.

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_The Avatar Spirit_

~At last, the last chapter. This whole entire chapter was practically handed to the villains. My main purpose for this chapter was to single out and find the villain in all of them. Ozai had been the first villain and he never did change. I realized that the man manipulated people just as much as Azula did. This was a man who could not accept defeat. His wingman, Zhao, was faithful to Ozai but had plans of his own. He hoped to gain ultimate power but also in the favor of Ozai. Azula, contrary to popular belief, had been the puppet in all of this.

~The ability for a spirit to merge with the Avatar Spirit was my final ace in the hole. My first was Azula becoming Avatar through energybending. My next was Ummi, the female Sky Bison. Zhao's link-up with the Avatar Spirit was my final and sent the trigger for my climax.

~Another favorite scene of mine was when all of Team Avatar redirected the lightning continuously using their respective elements (except Aang) and sent it back to Zhao. This was also one of the many scenes I waited to type. (Oh, and Zuko was still conducting lightning for him to do anything else. Plus, salt or impurities in sea water acts as a conductor to electricity. This is why a tub of murky water with a live wire sticking into it can get you electrocuted if touched.)

~Ending it was very confusing. I didn't want it too _blanc_ (happy) or too _noir_ (tragedy). Azula and her mother was one way of showing this. Though Azula was showing signs of stability, she was still a misfit and she broke into tears. As EditDeath put it, "_Azula may be an irredeemable villain, but not an irredeemable monster..._" Azula is still human and someone worth fighting for. She's just a really horrible bad guy. Toph coming home was also a sad thing to write.

~I love stories that go full circle so that's what I did with this. Maybe Ozai will get caught, but who knows? I'm not planning on writing a continuation to this _continuation_. Like the original writers, I'm also one to leave loose ends.

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**MY BASIC THINKING OF AVATAR AND FANFICTION**

As a fanfic writer for this category, I will tell you now that the story of Avatar is just too big for me.

Even with the power to do everything at my fingertips, I respect the creators enough to know that complex problems can't be solved with simple answers and coincidences. For those out there who wanted me to place in an Airbender (human) for the story, I'm sorry, but I just won't do it. Even if the title did not allude to Aang being the last Airbender, it would still cause problems. Where were the hints that the rest of the Airbenders would make their return? (I'm not bashing. This is an opinion). If some guy just happened to know where the rest of the Airbenders were, why didn't he appear in the previous books?

(He he... I'm one to talk, but I probably did the same thing myself.)

Anyway, I am currently suffering from a serious case of AWS (Avatar Withdrawal Syndrome). Watching past episodes isn't helping and even Sozin's Comet is starting to look redundant. I'm downloading Avatar Soundtracks and they seem to help (Listen to **Avatar Theme Remake**... I have a feeling they're going to put that in the live-action movie. The hairs on your skin will definitely stand). This fanfic was one of my lifebloods to the show and now that it's over, I'm running thin on Avatar stuff.

I also realized that I have more ideas to offer to the story. Already, I have plans for oneshot. I have already begun writing, but don't expect any promises. It'll deal with the legacy of the Airbenders. It's an epilogue of both the first three books and this one (although the latter being unnecessary).

I also hoped you liked this story. It _is_ my first fanfic after all.

Finally, as a proud Filipino Avatard (Yes! Go Pinoy! _Sarap maging pinoy ngayon!_), I have a deep rooted feeling that someday, Avatar is going to make a return on the screens. And whether better than the original or a loose adaption of the story, you will know I'll be there...

I'll be waiting by the TV

A chocolate bar in my hand

Cold sweat and anticipation running through me

Waiting...

Waiting until the Avatar Returns


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